The Brief: An exploitable meme format uses an image of a person in a furry suit trying to pet a scared looking dog.
DEEP DIVE
A furry or fursuiter is someone who participates in a culture of animal fandom and cosplay. The image, which is of the fursuiter Rocketwolfski, shows her in a bright green and blue fursuit approaching a dog with an outstretched hand. The dog’s expression is one of discomfort and fear. This meme has since been altered and spread to convey the disconnect between an original “real” thing and something else that is trying to replicate it. It can also show how awkward it can be when someone tries and fails to blend in. Various image macros label the person in the fursuit, her hand/paw, and the dog.
Furry Memes
On the Photoshop Battles subreddit, one user edited the image so it appears that the dog has broken free from its leash and is running away:
Commentary on incels and mysoginy:
“They don’t date me, because I am not chad” from r/IncelTears
The meme was embraced by the Furry subreddit:
Oof from r/flatearth
Title from r/Lithuaniakittens
References to Tik Tok memes and normies: