The Brief: Immediately after the Toy Story 4 trailer debuted, fans made memes about the new character Forky, an anxiety-riddled spork.
DEEP DIVE
Disney Pixar released the highly anticipated Toy Story 4 trailer on March 19, and not even a day later, the Internet has already turned one of the film’s new characters into a meme. In the teaser, Woody and his friends meet Forky, a spork who’s riddled with anxiety and doesn’t believe he’s fit to be a toy. Forky’s disheveled appearance, constant self-doubt, and the fact that a plastic utensil will soon be a beloved character, hit a nerve with many fans.
Existential Angst
It turns out that millennials are the most anxious generation, and are dealing with high unemployment rates, student loan debt, not being able to afford homes, etc. So it makes sense that Twitter met the self-deprecating Forky and collectively decided: “It me.”
forky going through his existential crisis throughout the toy story 4 trailer is the biggest mood pic.twitter.com/XonEk15EuV
— nina zenik lovebot (@wintrweb) March 19, 2019
Forky is the only character that gets it. pic.twitter.com/S5vnE60bRg
— Josh Kurp (@JoshKurp) March 19, 2019
Woody: You toys ready to bring another child happiness?!!!
Forky, in the corner having an existential crisis: pic.twitter.com/ITgHp4wrpG
— The Anti-Socialite (@QueenCobra_Z) March 19, 2019
We are Forky. pic.twitter.com/n4eY5V5bJW
— Ms. Astro 👑💤 @ Royal Alliance Zine (@Astro_Latte) March 19, 2019
The Toy Story Franchise Progression
Fans like Ben Schwartz (a.k.a. Jean-Ralphio from Parks and Recreation) were also quick to point out the surprising progression of the Toy Story franchise. Who knew in 1995, when the first installment arrived, that a sentient spoon would be at the center of the fourth film?
(Back in 1999)
Fortune Teller- "In twenty years you will cry about a spork named Forky."
Me- "Yeah… ok."— Ben Schwartz (@rejectedjokes) March 19, 2019
DISNEY SHAREHOLDERS: okay how are you guys gonna top Toy Story 3!?
PIXAR: Buzz & Woody get a new friend!
SHAREHOLDERS: great! What is it?
PIXAR: it’s a plastic fork.
SHAREHOLDERS: okay but seriously.
PIXAR: its name is Forky.
SHAREHOLDERS: …we’re gonna be so rich
PIXAR: pic.twitter.com/6oqvSCP89m
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) November 12, 2018
We have questions …
Seeing that Sporky came alive just by a little girl gluing eyes to him, Twitter users had to probe deeper into the metaphysical elements of the Toy Story world. How does a toy gain sentience? Where does it begin and end? The discussions became more and more outlandish, and therefore even funnier.
now that we have established kids can create toys from fragile materials (a plastic fork, for example), this opens up some questions re: toys' lives. If forky snaps in two would forky die? would only one part continue to live? where does a toy's soul reside? In this essay I w
— adrienne (@insertdisc5) March 19, 2019
the spork in the new toy story trailer raises some very troubling questions
it appears to be bonnie’s creation so does that mean any human can create a sentient toy just by giving it a face? what cosmic entity dictates what is and isn’t a face? how abstract can we get PIXAR!?
— BERTIE GILBERT (@bertieglbrt) November 12, 2018
I question the use of ‘God Only Knows’ in the latest Toy Story 4 trailer.
It implies God is real in the Toy Story universe, which means through his design toys are sentient.
Also, as only he can truly create new life, and Bonnie gives Forky life, Bonnie is God.
— JellyBeanSmellyMeme (@TheRealFTA) March 19, 2019