In a time of national disunity comes “just a little something to take the edge off”

By Clayton Purdom  |  November 8, 2016 | 7:45pm
Aux Features Aux

Today is, by design, a day of national disagreement and anxiety. No matter who you are, you are concerned, unless you are a nihilist or a baby.

There is a meme out there aiming to unite us, though, and it is this:

just a little somethin to take the edge off pic.twitter.com/kDQQFqykun

— tesstive corn 🌽 (@ItIsHalloween) November 5, 2016

That’s right: place something between your two fingers and pretend to be indulging in it as though it is a vice you do not regret. The Daily Dot connects it to this tweet, from about a month ago:

From there, it was riffed on ad infinitum:

it’s a gross habit, but it helps me take the edge off pic.twitter.com/sW9V1gFlWW

— niss (@yaniexe) October 20, 2016

You get the idea.

While the “It’s a gross habit, but” form remains prevalent, the “Just a little something to” form feels most universally applicable, especially on a day when it feels like everyone is wired to snap. The latter isn’t looking down at the habit, merely sharing that it works. Like any good meme, it is easy to replicate while still leaving room for people to riff. It applies easily to self-destruction:

And can be used for self-aware puns:

All before reaching the final form of any meme: glib self-immolation.

May this meme take the edge off for you as it has so many others.

 
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