DEEP DIVE

Twitter users are posting tributes to dead celebrities and historical figures, speculating about which modern phenomena they would have enjoyed in “RIP/ you would have loved” memes.

These memes rose to prominence on Twitter in March 2021 with the format “RIP [dead celebrity] you would have loved [contemporary thing].” According to Know Your Meme, this format appeared as early as November 2020 before going more viral around March 19th 2o21.

RIP sigmund freud i know he woud’ve loved reddit

— 👤 (@mas1z1) March 22, 2021

RIP to Michael Jackson. He would have loved Discord

— gnome (@gnomechomskyy) March 23, 2021

rip jane austen i just know you would’ve loved hozier

— amy’s helnik era🌘 (@anyahozier) March 22, 2021

Variations of this meme focus on who or what late celebrity or historical figure would have hated if they were alive today.

rip amy winehouse i just know you would’ve hated lana del ray

— احلام (@ah_llama) March 23, 2021

RIP Marilyn, you would have hated bombshell

— Megan Hilty (@meganhilty) March 24, 2021

rip selena you would’ve hated jlo

— unfriendly native hottie (@t3rriaxo) March 24, 2021

RIP edgar allen poe i know he woud’ve loved that’s so raven

— jordan (@mygfreal) March 22, 2021

RIP Freud you would’ve loved the term mommy milkers

— unfriendly native hottie (@t3rriaxo) March 23, 2021

RIP Joan of arc you would have loved Lorde

— Lizzie Logan (@lizzzzzielogan) March 23, 2021

RIP Narcissus you would have loved having a disorder named after you

— Village Person (@SvnSxty) March 23, 2021

RIP Achilles, you would have loved gay marriage

— suki (@desukidesu) March 23, 2021

rip emily dickinson. you would have loved graceland too by phoebe bridgers

— em – pinned tweet!! (@ivycomplex) March 22, 2021

RIP socrates you would have loved replying to two classmates on a discussion board

— EM (@uhhmmily) March 23, 2021

rip karl marx it’s a shame you never got to listen to rina sawayama you would have loved xs by rina sawayama

— freya (@bridgersfilm) March 21, 2021

RIP Princess Diana, I know you would have loved 5 for a fiver Easter eggs in the big Tesco

— Karole Guilfoyle (@karoIIie420) March 18, 2021

RIP Benjamin Franklin you would have loved Electricity by Dua Lipa

— ✨ (@heyjaeee) March 23, 2021

rip emily brontë. you would have loved kate bush

— ellie🌹🕊️ (she/her) (@ellieredpath) March 23, 2021