The internet has managed to spin gold from straw yet again. Another fairly obscure meme has taken on new significance, thanks to Twitter. The expression “when ya ex dies” has been circulating throughout the internet since at least mid-2015. In early 2016, it became part of a dank meme that paired the defiant words with an intentionally grainy, low-resolution picture of Kermit The Frog, his puppet mouth wide open in an apparent show of maniacal glee. The meme popped up on various social media platforms for a few months in this form, but it took Twitter user artificialdeath.flac to reveal the true potential of this devastating image and unleash it upon the world. On Monday, the self-described “seasoned shitposter” made the following, incredibly bold dare:
That’s right. The challenge at hand is to send the incredibly rude and insensitive Kermit picture to one’s ex and then post the screenshot to Twitter for the public to enjoy. Only the bold need apply. The question was, would anyone be so brave and/or foolish as to actually do this? Oh, yes. Yes, indeed, and the results are better than one might have hoped. Alaina not only sent the Kermit pic to her ex, she also got a response back immediately. This is an incredibly satisfying exchange of ideas.
— alaina (@bnjesseIacey) August 1, 2016
For a user identified as eff, things became scarily intense very quickly when Kermit got involved in his relationship. Maybe there are some downsides to this challenge. “This wasn’t my smartest idea,” he later admitted. But the internet’s not about thinking. It’s about doing, consequences be damned.
There are moments of pure joy here as well. Ava’s relationship with her ex was praised on Twitter as “inspirational” after this hilarious screenshot appeared.
That’s a thing of beauty, really. One wonders what kinds of text messages Kermit himself has exchanged with Miss Piggy during their long, stormy relationship. Since The Muppets isn’t getting a second season, the world will have to speculate.