The Curious Case of Crying Sunglasses: How a Meme Captured Millennial Malaise

The Rise of Crying Sunglasses

Sunglasses have long been associated with glamour and celebrity. However, in recent years a new emotion has become linked to shades - sadness. The emergence of the "crying sunglasses" meme signals an intriguing development in internet culture. This article explores how and why sad sunglasses took off online.

The Origins of Crying Sunglasses

The crying sunglasses meme likely originated on Twitter in the mid 2010s. Users posted reaction images of cartoon characters wearing sunglasses with tears streaming down their faces. These images expressed exaggerated sadness or disappointment, often in response to trivial "first world problems." The over-the-top waterworks struck many as darkly comedic.

As the crying sunglasses gained traction, people began applying the concept to real sunglasses. Photos emerged of glamorous or expensive pairs of shades now "crying" digital tears. The juxtaposition seemed to mock the notion that material objects alone can bring true happiness. An implicitly critical message lay under the surface - that consumer culture encourages misplaced desires and superficial status symbols.

Why “Crying Sunglasses” Caught On

The crying sunglasses meme resonated with internet users for several interrelated reasons.

Firstly, it taps into millennial and Gen Z malaise and disillusionment with late stage capitalism. Young people facing grim economic prospects often use dark humor to process discontent regarding inequality and consumerism. The meme channels this generational cynicism in a cathartic way.

Secondly, the meme gained popularity at a time when stunting on social media through displays of luxury products was at a peak. By making coveted items like designer shades literally "cry," the meme knocks influencer culture down a peg. It enables ironic mockery of consumer thirst traps.

Finally, the visual gag at the meme's core is instantly graspable and meme-able. The image of impassive sunglasses juxtaposed with cartoon tears is darkly funny, evocative, and lends itself to iteration after iteration.

Notable Examples

As the crying sunglasses meme spread, popular variants played off specific luxury brands:

• - Images of Dior sunglasses bawling, wryly suggesting that even owning an elite status symbol does not guarantee happiness.
• - Balenciaga shades weeping rivers, satirizing how the brand sometimes pushes extremes of avant-garde fashion at astronomical prices.
• - Gucci sunglasses distraught over superficial status-seeking, critiquing the notion of defining oneself through conspicuous consumption.

These examples showcase how crying sunglasses effectively skewer the excesses of high fashion. By making the sunglasses themselves exhibit exaggerated sadness, the meme suggests that hype culture promotes unhealthy values.

Crying Sunglasses in the Digital Age

If memes represent modern mythmaking, what cultural narratives might crying sunglasses speak to in the digital age?

On one level, the meme channels widespread disillusionment about late stage capitalism in general, and hollow status symbols specifically. The tears represent a collective mourning for a system failing to meet basic social and emotional needs.

More deeply, the meme also signifies profound alienation in an era where identity is ever more tied to consumption. The distressed sunglasses epitomize how basing self-worth on products and public persona causes anguish. Behind each fashion flex lurks existential crisis.

Ultimately, the crying sunglasses meme arrives as a counterpoint to curated images projecting success on social platforms. Its rise suggests a longing for spaces where we can acknowledge a shared lack of fulfillment. As digital masks become increasingly elaborate, the meme helps justify taking them off.

Crying Sunglasses - Fad or Phenomenon?

Will crying sunglasses stand the test of internet time like other dominant memes? Or fade into obscurity?

Arguments can be made either way. On the one hand, the meme's link to specific designer brands could date it quickly. Cultural cachet moves fast in digital spaces - today's hot product is tomorrow's has-been.

However, the underlying emotional resonance seems ripe for continual rediscovery. As long as social media promotes shallow values and false representations, the urge to subvert these tropes persists. Elements of crying sunglasses - cartoon tears juxtaposed with luxury signifiers - offer an evergreen template for irreverent satire.

So while the meme's current incarnations may not persist forever, its spirit capturing collective disillusionment is likely here to stay. The visual vernacular could be repurposed indefinitely as different symbols capture widespread envy or dissatisfaction.

In that sense, behind each pair of crying sunglasses lies a profound societal sadness - one that technologies often distract us from rather than remedy. By giving objects emotions, the meme forces us to confront our own underlying and unresolved pain in a hollow age.

FAQs

Where did the crying sunglasses meme start?

The crying sunglasses meme likely originated on Twitter in the mid 2010s, as users posted reaction images of cartoon characters wearing sunglasses with tears streaming down their faces to express exaggerated sadness or disappointment.

What brands are featured in crying sunglasses memes?

Popular crying sunglasses memes have featured luxury brands like Dior, Balenciaga, and Gucci. Images show their iconic sunglasses models shedding distressed tears, satirizing status-seeking consumer culture.

What emotions does the crying sunglasses meme tap into?

The crying sunglasses meme taps into disillusionment with late stage capitalism, particularly among millennials and Gen Z. It channels generational cynicism, knocks social media influencer culture, and conveys alienation in an era where identity is tied to consumption.

Is this meme just a passing fad?

While its current incarnations may fade in popularity, the core spirit of the crying sunglasses meme - which subverts hollow status symbols andexpressions - seems evergreen. As long as social media promotes curated perfection, satirizing this trope persists.