Breaking News

Memes Go Mainstream: The New York Times Business Section Runs ‘Distracted Boyfriend’ Meme

By Investing.com Blog - Inside Investing

In what was a big week for memes, the ‘distracted boyfriend’ meme made it to print, effectively reaching mainstream status.

The New York Times' Business section used the popular meme in its front page on Wednesday, May 29, to explain Fiat Chrysler's potential merger with French automaker Renault (PA:RENA).

The meme shows Renault as the distracted boyfriend, Nissan as the jealous girlfriend, and Fiat Chrysler as the woman passing by on the street.

According to online meme database Know Your Meme, ‘distracted boyfriend’ is an object labeling stock photo series in which a man looks at the backside of a woman walking by while another woman, presumably his romantic partner, looks on disapprovingly.

The database has confirmed the existence of roughly 4,000 memes, which basically refers to an image with text overlay, designed for online distribution, however the actual number is certainly much higher.

To see a newspaper of the magnitude of the New York Times publish such a meme could bode well for fully integrating meme culture into traditional media in the future

It seems that memes are no longer confined just to social media anymore.

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