# For the pre-Internet crowd: what'a good example of a pre-Intenet "meme"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660 "2014-07-08T18:39:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/101 "2014-07-16T03:25:02Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Synapse leap: “Only you can prevent forest fires.” This reminds me of Smokey _The_ bear, a sort of meme within a meme. In the lyrics of a 1952 popular song, the article was added to fit the melody, and was further used in some children’s books, in addition to the World Book encyclopedia. A whole generation of kids grew up to believe that _Smokey The Bear_ was the correct style. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/102 "2014-07-16T04:08:55Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > This reminds me of Smokey _The_ bear, a sort of meme within a meme. In the lyrics of a 1952 popular song, the article was added to fit the melody, and was further used in some children’s books, in addition to the World Book encyclopedia. A whole generation of kids grew up to believe that _Smokey The Bear_ was the correct style. Not to mention Allan Sherman’s: > [@](#): > > On top of old Smokey, > All covered with hair, > Of course I’m referring > To Smokey the Bear! ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/103 "2014-07-16T04:09:56Z")
LSD tattoos (aka Blue Star Acid) > **[LSD Tattoos](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/blue-star-acid/)** > > Drug dealers hand out LSD-laced tattoos of cartoon characters to schoolchildren? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/104 "2014-07-16T04:38:38Z")
> [@Yarster](#): > > How about every person/celebrity/public figure having a major victory of some sort and announcing: “I’m going to Disneyland”. I’m sure they did all the E-ticket rides! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/105 "2014-07-16T05:52:43Z")
[push button - receive bacon](https://www.google.com/search?q=hand+dryer+receive+bacon&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=3BLGU9WoL5auyASUm4GgAw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1115&bih=1052#imgdii=_) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/106 "2014-07-16T06:04:23Z")
Who’s Yehudi? What a shocking bad hat! (Explanations on demand.) ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/107 "2014-07-16T06:27:34Z")
The scottish play… Not naming it… thats a bit of a meme. There’s a concept that is carried along with the words. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/108 "2014-07-16T13:39:57Z")
Mountain Dew (specifically Yellow Dye # 5) makes you sterile. I heard that one at sleepaway nerd camp in 4th grade. I didn’t even know what sterile was. Nobody else either. Something to do with your penis not working properly and that you’ll never have kids. My interpretation was that it’ll shrivel. Didn’t stop us from drinking all the Mountain Dew and Surge our little bodies could handle though. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/109 "2014-07-16T19:59:11Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > [When You’re Up to Your Ass in Alligators](http://www.amazon.com/When-Youre-Your-Ass-Alligators/dp/0814318673) and a couple of other books by Dundes and Pagter document pre-internet faxlore and what-are-now-called-memes (I don’t think Dundes uses that word). Loads of examples in these books. I read one of Dundes and Pagter’s other books, [Work Hard and You Shall Be Rewarded](http://www.amazon.com/Work-Hard-You-Shall-Rewarded-ebook/dp/B00KB4E1QO/ref=la_B000APW5HQ_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405540046&sr=1-13), and I recall that they called it “Xerox lore.” That phrase seems appropriate, given that whenever you saw one of these things, they were always grotty looking from being photocopied over and over and over. The ones I remember seeing most are the “You Want It When?” sign (with the laughing blobs) and the Red Velvet Cake recipe. ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/110 "2014-07-17T18:20:49Z")
Kilroy was here Keep on Truckin’ Collect pop tabs for kidney dialysis Saying “Hello” when you answer the telephone Regional: Here in Western Pennsylvania since the '70s it is a common practice to politely alert someone that their fly is open by telling them “Kennywood’s open!” ---
**Author:** ![Srsly\_Dad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Srsly\_Dad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Srsly_Dad)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/111 "2014-07-17T19:22:49Z")
Can’t believe someone has not mentioned [Bob Dobbs (Church of the Sub-Genius)](http://obeygiant.com/images/2008/10/bob-dobbs.gif) Posted frequently every available pole or wall on collage campuses. I know this particular image has a web address, but these were without the address in the pre-internet days. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/112 "2014-07-17T19:41:38Z")
> [@Srsly\_Dad](#): > > Can’t believe someone has not mentioned > > [Bob Dobbs (Church of the Sub-Genius)](http://obeygiant.com/images/2008/10/bob-dobbs.gif) > Posted frequently every available pole or wall on collage campuses. > I know this particular image has a web address, but these were without the address in the pre-internet days. Excellent one! Reminds me in a small way of “The Church of What’s Happnin’ Now.” ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2014, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/113 "2014-07-18T08:53:35Z")
From the 80s: white t-shirts with large black text that read: FRANKIE SAYS RELAX. This was a campaign for Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “Relax” single. There were other variants, like “FRANKIE SAYS WAR,” and pretty much anything you could imagine. I remember going to our local flea market and seeing about 40 variants, including “I DON’T CARE WHAT FRANKIE SAYS.” ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2014, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/114 "2014-07-18T09:57:53Z")
I remember people in the 90s wearing Tommy Hilfiger apparel and in response they came out with a [Tommy Pullmyfinger](http://www.collectorsgalleryonline.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/Image568.jpg) T-shirt featuring Beavis and Butt-head. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/115 "2014-07-18T13:22:48Z")
Tain’t funny, McGee! ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2014, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/116 "2014-07-18T17:02:27Z")
“\ Rules OK” was a popular wall-scrawl in the UK, with any number of fillers. Probably the wittiest variation on this I ever heard was “French dockers rule _au quai_”. ---
**Author:** ![Thrasymachus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Thrasymachus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thrasymachus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/117 "2014-07-19T17:15:39Z")
Suprised that no one has mentioned this: [Baby On Board](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_on_board) Back in the mid-80’s it was trendy to have one of these signs in the back window of your car, and after a short while it got way stupider with Grandma On Board, Chihuahua On Board, Surfer On Board, etc joke signs… Perfect example of a pre-internet “meme” - short text that comes out of nowhere and exploded into self parody before disappearing almost as fast. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/118 "2014-07-19T18:42:18Z")
Does the [Peace sign](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_symbols#The_peace_sign) count? **☮** ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/119 "2014-07-19T20:27:18Z")
“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” ---
**Author:** ![Frapp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@Frapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frapp)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660/120 "2014-07-19T22:20:44Z")
Did anyone ever figure out where that blocky “S” originated? Also on a side note. I one saw a Jesus Fish medallion on a car with “& Chips” in the middle, instead of Darwin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-pre-internet-crowd-whata-good-example-of-a-pre-intenet-meme/692660.md?page=7)