Memes have finally caught up to the age-old adage, “Whoever smelt it, dealt it” with a little help from human enigma Eric Andre.
You may have seen the episode of The Eric Andre Show in which a stiff set about climate change segues into Andre pulling out a gat and emptying two clips into co-host Hannibal Buress. Andre looks at the camera and, seemingly perplexed, wonders aloud, “Who killed Hannibal?”
Videos by VICE
Andre defies all logic as he not only shirks responsibility for the crime, but actively hunts the criminal. Now that moment is a meme to point out all the toxic people and institutions who fuck shit up and try to pass the blame on to someone else. In an early example posted to r/memeeconomy last night, Andre is labeled “Baby Boomers” as he shoots “America” in the form of Buress. His perplexed question? “Why would millennials do this?”
It’s the perfect meme to express how young people feel about the laundry list of crimes we’ve been accused of, from killing industries to taking handouts from our parents, while the previous generation scorched the earth and had much better support systems. With quality like this, it’s hard not to agree with the r/memeeconomy user who commented, “Investing in Eric Andre is always a safe, smart, and underrated meme stock. “
The “Who Killed Hannibal” meme isn’t only for scathing cultural commentary. It lends itself very well to conspiracy theories. Since the internet is a very dark place, it should surprise no one that this meme’s first use was the equivalent of “Bush did 9/11,” coincidentally a common comment on VICE’s Facebook posts. Another early one is about the JFK assassination.
The latest iterations are more wholesome, like this OC from an r/prequelmemes poster referencing the recent war between that subreddit and r/sequelmemes.
In short, “Who Killed Hannibal” is the meme of the oppressed, the wrongly accused, and anyone skeptical of the official narrative. It can get dark, but it lends itself naturally to the underdog of any community, from Star Wars fans to anime nerds. It’s time to Bird Up your portfolio and invest in Eric Andre memes. Some of our favorite investments below.
Template:
Enjoy the meme while you can before the Russian bots get their hands on it.
[Update: As memes do, “Who Shot Hannibal?” has evolved into a meta-meme. Instead of shifting the blame to someone else, Andre doubles down on his gunshots and becomes a force of brutality.]
Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily.
Tweet your “Who Killed Hannibal” memes to @VICE, and send hot meme tips to Beckett Mufson on Twitter.
