The Brief: Everyone is talking about Marie Kondo's Netflix series: Tidying Up and her catchphrase "does this spark joy."
DEEP DIVE
Marie Kondo is a tidying expert and best-selling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. At the beginning of 2019, Netflix released a series starring Kondo in which she goes into peoples homes and helps them get organized using her signature KonMari method. This series has sparked a number of debates and inspired memes about Kondo’s methods and advice.
“Spark joy” is now a popular buzzword based on Kondo’s philosophy that people should only keep things in their homes that are useful and immediately bring them joy. Some people have suggested that this concept should be considered in relation to more than just material things, but for relationships, social media, careers, and daily life as well. Marie Kondo-related memes range from jokes about over the top tidying and minimalism to ones about just how attached we can be to material things.
This One Sparks Joy | This One Does Not Spark Joy
Marie Kondo talking about whether or not things spark joy has led to a meme similar to the Drake yes/no meme. The first panel shows Marie saying “this one sparks joy” and in the second she says “this one does not spark joy.” Images can be added to the panels to show how things such as relationships or meme formats do or do not bring people joy.
Memes
marie kondo just pointed a gun at me and told me to give her one good reason as to why i need two crock pots. idk how she even got in my apartment
— Trey Smith (@SlimiHendrix) January 8, 2019
Me, pulling a big fuzzy blanket up to my chin: I'm only surrounding myself in things that spark joy
Dunkin' Donuts employee: Ma'am I've warned you twice I'm calling the cops
— maura quint (@behindyourback) January 10, 2019
Getting Rid Of Toxic People
In your process of tidying up your homes, pls remember to declutter your social lives as well. Only surround yourself with people who Spark Joy ✨
— Saab (@saabmagalona) January 9, 2019
Marie Kondo has spoken. If you enter my home and do not spark joy I will throw you in the trash.
— Madeleine Roux (@Authoroux) January 6, 2019
I don’t care about the Marie Kondo book debate, I just wanna know why she doesn’t ask the women if their husbands truly spark joy or if they should be thanked and removed.
— Amy Gray (@_AmyGray_) January 6, 2019
you really should impeach any politician that does not spark joy
— rstevens 3.01 🐳💨 (@rstevens) January 5, 2019
In The Workplace
If an email does not spark joy, delete it
— James Hamblin (@jameshamblin) January 7, 2019
From now on, question the work and briefs given to you.
“Does it spark joy?”
If not, touch your client and say “thank you.”
— Ad People Of Manila (@AdPeopleOfMNL) January 9, 2019
Taking Things Too Far…
“This baby does not spark joy for me, so it will have to go” pic.twitter.com/OsCI6dPa0f
— Adam Moussa (@adamjmoussa) January 3, 2019
*He* did not spark joy pic.twitter.com/D745STnsux
— Damien Kempf (@DamienKempf) January 10, 2019
Tidying Up Social Media
“Get rid of things that don’t give you any joy,” Marie Kondo said, gently gathering up Twitter into her hands, folding it in half, crushing it into a small cube and blasting it into the infinite void of space. “Create a space for your ideal self.”
— Mark Berman (@markberman) January 6, 2019
Marie Kondo your social media. If a user doesn't spark joy, whisper "thank you" over their profile page and block them immediately
— Eve Forster ❄️👩🏼🔬🧠 (@EveForster) January 10, 2019