
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


Who gets credit for starting a meme? Usually... nobody — they're made too quickly and organically. In the case of one of the most famous bait-and-switch memes of all time, the "Rick Roll," we may be looking at something experts call convergent evolution. Did the Rick Roll originate with a piece of code on the message board 4Chan, or with a prank call to a local sports show in Michigan? And why does the Rick Roll have such staying power? Is it codified in the DNA of the song itself?
We explore the meme’s origin, the history of the song, "Never Gonna Give You Up," and its impact on both internet users during COVID-19 and on the performer himself.
This episode was originally published on Oct. 08, 2021.
***
Take the survey here: wbur.org/endlessthreadsurvey
Thank you!
By WBUR4.1
26262,626 ratings
Who gets credit for starting a meme? Usually... nobody — they're made too quickly and organically. In the case of one of the most famous bait-and-switch memes of all time, the "Rick Roll," we may be looking at something experts call convergent evolution. Did the Rick Roll originate with a piece of code on the message board 4Chan, or with a prank call to a local sports show in Michigan? And why does the Rick Roll have such staying power? Is it codified in the DNA of the song itself?
We explore the meme’s origin, the history of the song, "Never Gonna Give You Up," and its impact on both internet users during COVID-19 and on the performer himself.
This episode was originally published on Oct. 08, 2021.
***
Take the survey here: wbur.org/endlessthreadsurvey
Thank you!

90,887 Listeners

44,025 Listeners

26,249 Listeners

5,638 Listeners

3,996 Listeners

11,926 Listeners

47 Listeners

12,127 Listeners

17,484 Listeners

2,228 Listeners

4,207 Listeners

16,153 Listeners

2,130 Listeners

3,544 Listeners

3,590 Listeners

1,418 Listeners

2,312 Listeners

4,571 Listeners

3,138 Listeners

224 Listeners

308 Listeners

564 Listeners

705 Listeners