Summer Song Challenge, Day 42: Pat

Prompt: "A song that's better than the Mister Softee jingle"

Selected by Pat

"Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell"

Das Racist

Shut Up, Dude, 2010

Biologist Richard Dawkins originally defined "meme" as a unit of cultural transmission—a means of passing an idea, concept or belief—that evolves organically, not unlike living cells. Then he probably went to the closest Salvation Army soup kitchen and lectured them about how believing in God was the same as believing in a flying spaghetti monster, because Richard Dawkins is also a huge asshole. Nonetheless, memes are everywhere. For example, the Mister Softee jingle has meme-like qualities, in the sense that its tune is instantly recognized by Americans to mean "get your wallet, ice cream is nearby."

An even better example of a meme is the Das Racist song "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell." It started organically: that particular line is pulled from an even earlier song by Kool A.D. called "I Zimbra." Das Racist began noticing that crowds at their shows were chanting "pizza hut, taco bell," so they followed the money and recorded a full length track. The song has long since outlived Das Racist, which broke up more than a decade ago. I'm certain most people who recognize the song don't actually know who recorded it. This is probably for the best.

Originally, "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell" had a simple cultural transmission. The message was "I am far too high, to the point where I am unable to coordinate meeting up with my friend, who is also high." As a former stoner, I can tell you this is an everyday occurrence. But like all good memes, it outgrew that meaning and began communicating new ideas. It became a commentary on American healthcare. It revisited classic literature. It became shorthand for TikTokers to explain personal issues. I couldn't find the original, but one of the best things I ever saw on Twitter was in June 2020. It a picture of a protest in a major city, with the caption: 

"I'm at the pandemic

I'm at the uprising

I'm at the combination pandemic and uprising"

If that doesn't sum up the summer of 2020 in fifteen words or less, nothing does. 

What is the point that I'm trying to make here? That memes, however idiotic or annoying, exist because they can speak to someone in a way that nothing else can. A meme survives because someone values the meaning it transmits. Think about that next time you roll your eyes at a shitpost. That shitpost might be someone else's truth.

Also, because the idea of making Puke on Your Birthday include to this stupid, stupid, stupid song on the playlist delights me to no end. It's my daily post. It's a harmless prank. It's a combination daily post and harmless prank.