# Why is it called a Rick "Roll"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 14, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-rick-roll/411721 "2007-07-14T00:01:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-rick-roll/411721/1 "2007-07-14T00:01:00Z")
On a certain other message board I frequent (_cough_ World of Warcraft _cough_), some posters occasionally play a prank known as “Rick Rolling”. The prank typically goes like this: 1. Start a new discussion thread. 2. Title it something like “Hidden camera at Blizzard HQ”. 3. In the OP, write something like “ZOMG Check this out, somebody snuck a hidden camera into the developers’ area of Blizzard, and on this one guy’s desk PC montior they saw most of the new gear they’re going to be adding in 2.3!” 4. Post a link to a video on YouTube. When an unsuspecting victim clicks on the YouTube link, instead of seeing a top-secret behind-the-scenes video of secret game features, you see a video of Rick Astley singing “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Said victim has been “Rick Rolled”. What I wanna know is, why is it called being Rick ROLLED? What the heck does rolling have to do with it? ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-rick-roll/411721/2 "2007-07-14T00:11:23Z")
How old are you? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Monkeysaretasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Monkeysaretasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkeysaretasty)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-rick-roll/411721/3 "2007-07-14T00:20:47Z")
On another website, (NAME REMOVED FOR RULES #1 & #2), the meme “Do a barrel roll” (which was in turn borrowed from the Star Fox games) became standard advice for all sorts of situations (along with stick in the pooper, become an hero, and kill yourself). This website then later created the whole "rick roll’ thing. ---
**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 14, 2007, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-rick-roll/411721/4 "2007-07-14T03:33:26Z")
There are other message boards? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-rick-roll/411721/5 "2007-07-14T03:44:34Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] There are other message boards? 😕 [/QUOTE] Yuppers, and it’s the home of Rick 'n Roll. ---
**Author:** ![I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9fc29f/32.png) [@I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_m_Ron_Burgundy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-rick-roll/411721/6 "2007-07-14T04:28:08Z")
[QUOTE=Operation Ripper] How old are you? 😉 [/QUOTE] How old are _you_? Time for your medicine? It’s called a Rick Roll because it’s reminiscent of a Duck Roll, where someone would post a link like [Scarlett Johansson totally nude! Hot!](http://static.stickam.com/media/image/converted/online/1738/7573/9/dda8891f-9b6a-11db-b256-c138d833ea0c.jpg) and it would end up being this duck on wheels. It started at 4chan as far as I know. Rick Astley + Duckroll = Rickroll. ---
**Author:** ![ArmenE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ArmenE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArmenE)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-rick-roll/411721/7 "2007-07-14T04:47:58Z")
This doesn’t provide the answer, though maybe **Ron** just did, but Wikipedia’s article on [Never Gonna Give You Up](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Gonna_Give_You_Up) has a link to this [article](http://www.wigantoday.net/the-goss?articleid=2959023) regarding the phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-rick-roll/411721/8 "2007-07-14T09:01:23Z")
I have been Rick Rolled and I have Rick Rolled. Rick Rolling is the backbone of Western Civilization.