The Brief: A photo that appears to depict a baby platypus has gone viral online, inspiring memes and debate about whether or not that's really what a baby platypus looks like.
DEEP DIVE
Baby Platypus memes are based on a photo of a sculpture of a “baby platypus.” This baby meme joins Baby Yoda and Baby Nut as a viral and fictional “baby.” Online, there’s debate about the platypus’ authenticity, cuteness, and politics. We just hope he doesn’t milkshake duck…
You have been visited by baby platypus, rt for goodluck. pic.twitter.com/TnuIp3TDlC
— woomy! (@evvok) February 15, 2020
Is That Really A Baby Platypus?
The image at the center of this meme is not, in fact, an actual photo of a baby platypus but a sculpture crafted out of stone by fantasy artist Vladimir Matić-Kuriljov.
Luckily, actual baby platypuses are very cute.
There's a fake picture of a baby platypus going around so I decided to Google what real baby platypuses look like and good news: pic.twitter.com/3e9c0giUvU
— Spirit Valentine's Store (@ImpPoster) February 16, 2020
This is not the first time a faux baby platypus photo has gone viral. A Snopes article debunked rumors that a photo of a platypus doll from 2016 was real.
Memes
Baby platypus memes include comparisons to Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb and depictions of this “baby platypus” as a climate activist.
A particularly popular quote tweet of Baby Platypus with the caption “I think he looks nice” gathered 1 million likes before it was deleted in a no free clout dispute.
no free clout pic.twitter.com/P6Rdtj1yMi
— ً (@660rd) February 16, 2020
why the fuck does a baby platypus look like that pic.twitter.com/5HFrw8tbBe
— Dad after a Drink (@ImYourDadAlt) February 18, 2020
"huh just a "PERRY THE
normal platypus" PLATYPUS??" pic.twitter.com/9CzeON8C3e— brandon (@bylandee) February 17, 2020
i thought they looked like this pic.twitter.com/Bu6DO1kOS8
— taylor (@t_cmusic2) February 16, 2020
— vic (@victor_pesina) February 16, 2020
— Aku (@Akunakii) February 16, 2020