Raygun, Hawk And Tuah Girl are just two examples of when Meme Stardom turns mean, explains Global influencer Elise Strachan.
meme \MEEM\ noun. 1 : an idea, behaviour, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture. 2 : an amusing or interesting item (such as a captioned picture or video) or genre of items that is spread widely online especially through social media.
The Rise and Rumble of Meme Culture: Embracing Humanity or Crushing Souls?
Remember that school mum who tripped spectacularly and faceplanted at a school sports carnival, flashing her underwear to the world?
Or the inescapable anthem “It’s Friday” (gotta get down on Friday)?
How about iconic phrases like “Ain’t nobody got time for that,” “Charlie bit my finger,” or “I’m gonna stay indoors and get all fat n’ sassy”?
For millennials and younger, these moments are etched into memory, forming a collective scrapbook of internet culture.
As a society, we elevate these ordinary people through meme culture, embracing the hilarity and relatability of their unscripted moments. Whether we’re laughing with or at them, their stories resonate. They remind us of life’s imperfections—and that sometimes, it’s better to stumble boldly than to stand on the sidelines.
From Virality to Vitality: The Curious Afterlife of Memes
Take Rebecca Black, who braved the internet in 2011 with a music video FRIDAY, that many dismissed as amateurish. Long before TikTok made such ventures trendy, or technology made their creation easy, Rebecca captured the essence of a universal truth: Fridays are for fun.
Today, Rebecca is both a bonafide rock star, and a nostalgic fixture, and I still send “It’s Friday” to my friends at least ten Fridays a year.
And then there’s Charlie— the notorious finger-biter from the UK. Thanks to the rise of NFTs, his family profited handsomely selling the rights to a viral home video that had long faded into obscurity when it sold for a staggering $700,000 US Dollars in 2021.
Charlie, Rebecca & ‘that mum who fell a-over-t’ are all symbols of how fleeting, or how lucrative meme stardom can be.
The Double-Edged Sword of Meme Fame
Meme culture is more than just laughs and likes. It’s Halloween costumes, SNL skits, millions of views and exponential ad revenue. But for the memed individuals themselves, this sudden and often unwelcome fame can be overwhelming.
These aren’t trained media personalities with polished PR strategies. They’re everyday people thrust into a spotlight that’s as cruel as it is dazzling. And while the internet may initially celebrate their unfiltered authenticity, the aftermath often includes harsh judgement and public scrutiny.
Yet, at the core of meme culture lies something surprisingly tender: a celebration of raw humanity. These moments—flawed, messy, and hilariously relatable—serve as a reminder that perfection isn’t the goal. In an age of curated social media lives, memes might just be the last bastion of unpolished authenticity on the internet.
When Meme Fame Becomes a Burden
So what happens when a memed person wants to step off the viral train? When they simply don’t wish to be famous, or the relentless attention becomes a burden too heavy to bear?
With Google released it’s “viral moments 2024” lists, two recent examples came to mind which illustrate the divergent paths of meme fame in the year that was:
- Hawk Tuah Girl
Haliey Welch, better known as the viral “Hawk Tuah Girl,” now has an official wikipedia page which describes her meteoric rise to fame as follows:
Hawk tuah (/ˌhɔːk ˈtuːə/ HAWK TOO-ə) is an internet meme originating from a viral YouTube video posted in 2024. During a street interview, Hailey Welch used the catchphrase “hawk tuah”, an onomatopoeia for spitting or expectoration on a man’s penis during sex.
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This single off-the-cuff (and eyebrow-raising) comment alone, catapulted Hailey into meme-hood, amassing subscribers, revelling in the love of the people and leading to lucrative sponsorships. Welch’s manager, Jonnie Forster, owner of Los Angeles-based management firm The Penthouse, cited offers north of $25,000 to work with his client
In a sharp and sudden decline Hailey the Hawk Tuah girl is now facing heavy criticism after the catastrophic failure of her newly launched cryptocurrency, Hawk Coin which lost over 95% of its value within 20 minutes, sparking accusations of a “pump and dump” scheme.
While Welch denies the allegations, her reputation as a meme-turned-celebrity-turned-crypto queen is now overshadowed by claims of misleading investors and a very angry tribe of out-of-pocket followers.
It’s exceedingly likely that 23-year-old Hailey, who lives with her grandmother in rural Tennessee, was preyed upon for both her sudden fame and her authentic youthful naivety, becoming the scapegoat for a crypto scheme where other parties no doubt profited immensely.
At the time of writing Hailey has disappeared from public view.
Raygun
On the other hand, Raygun—a breakdancer turned meme after her Olympic debut earlier this year —wants nothing more than to be left alone. She entered the competition as an underdog and gave it her all, yet her less-than-stellar performance became fodder for ridicule. Despite her efforts to reclaim her narrative, she remains a punching bag for public opinion.
Raygun’s journey is a cautionary tale. She’s trademarked her name and likeness in an attempt to protect herself from mockery and brand exploitation, a move that backfired, drawing accusations of cultural insensitivity.
When Australian comedian Stephanie Broadbridge created a musical about the ill-fated breakdance routine, Raygun seemingly went a step too far threatening the comedy venue with legal action resulting in the cancellation of Steph’s show opening. While this stifles Steph’s creativity, I don’t know many people who would be ok with an entire musical mocking them, touring throughout their home country.
At the time of writing Raygun has just issued a public statement via her Instagram @raygun_aus stating;
“Yes, I’ve trademarked my name and my now famous kangaroos silhouette pose which is being used in just about every piece of Raygun merch out there, which I’m not profiting from by the way.
The reason we did that was because we were notified that there were applications from other parties trying to trademark my name and image for commercial purposes”
“In terms of the kangaroo dance, I did not trademark it or claim any trademark ownership of the kangaroo dance, and it no way mimics aboriginal dance. It was instead inspired by the Olympic mascot BK the boxing kangaroo”
Raygun goes on to apologise for any offence caused by her portrayal of her version of the kangaroo dance but in a world where celebrities and public figures are expected to be culturally omniscient, unwaveringly inclusive and supportive of all, her apologies are landing just as badly with the Australian public as her ill fated dance moves.
It begs the question, if merchandise, or a musical or movie about Raygun’s notorious stumble (pardon the pun) is to be made, using Raygun’s known alias, should it not be Raygun herself that decides how she is portrayed?
It’s an issue shrouded in grey, but one thing is for sure. The people have it in for Raygun, and it seems she cannot put a foot right.
The Unintended Legacy of Meme Fame
Despite the backlash, Raygun has unintentionally shone a spotlight on Australia’s breakdancing scene. Her viral misstep will undoubtedly inspire a new generation of dancers and it has brought unprecedented attention to the sport, and its existence in Australia.
When the next big breakdancing competition rolls around, Australia’s dancers will be performing on a global stage with a starkly satisfying “before and after” video sequence highlighting Australia’s new, improved and no doubt impeccably honed talent—and they’ll have Raygun to thank for it.
Still, her personal journey underscores the darker side of meme culture. Each attempt to reclaim her dignity is met with scepticism, twisting the narrative against her.
Meanwhile, Hawk Tuah Girl will have to wait a long time to outrun the negative impacts of her rapid rise to meme-fame and subsequent fall from grace.
The Humanity in the Humour
At its best, meme culture is a celebration of humanity’s quirks, elevating everyday moments into shared experiences. But it’s also a stark reminder of how quickly we turn on those who stumble.
For Raygun, the internet’s appetite for mockery has become an unrelenting burden.
For Hailey, her worldwide exposure and recent business failure put her at risk of far more sinister consequences.
So as we laugh, click, and share, perhaps we should remember the people behind the memes. Their stories, while entertaining, are also cautionary tales about the price of virality in a world that’s both unforgiving of and endlessly fascinated by the unpolished and imperfect.
Stay kind out there.
On December 20th, Raygun posted a recent update stating she and Steph. Broadbent had come to an agreement and the comedy show would be able to proceed. While this is great news for Steph, her actors and her venue, it’s important to note that Raygun has spent her entire pre-Christmas period embroiled in social media scandal digesting the judgement of thousands in what she calls “a very, very tough year”.
At this point, she has likely outlaid some serious legal fees to protect the trademark on her own name and have some kind of say in a musical that mocks her, yet she continually reminds us that she is not making money from the endeavours others are pursuing in her name. Given all this, I think Raygun probably deserves a break from the couch critics and internet trolls, and I feel for a woman who has had to defend herself so many times while doing her best to navigate her instant (and somewhat brutal) rise to memedom fame.
Xoxo Elise
