The internet is a treasure trove of memes, especially those with social and cultural undertones. The Exciting Whites meme is an excellent example of this. It all began with a simple (yet quirky) picture clicked at a wine shop. Fast forward to today, it has turned into a playful commentary on stereotypes and has gone viral on all social media platforms. Let’s dissect its evolution from being just a symbol to becoming an icon.
Origins of the Exciting Whites meme
On September 20, 2021, X (formerly Twitter) user @DR0girl posted an image of a wine shop’s signage that read “Exciting Whites,” with the caption: "When you and your friends see many jam band shows a year." The joke was pointing to the idea of white culture and their love for jam bands—an idea that is too familiar to some white people.
The internet did what it does best: it seized the moment. The phrase did not take long to find its new audience on NBA X handles, in which fans hilariously applied it in describing Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. The term is applied ironically to these athletes, who are white players in a league that is predominantly Black, yet stand out at their games. As such, the meme fixated on both the area of pop culture and the sphere of sports.
Evolution of the meme
Eventually, Exciting Whites broadened its hosting, transforming into a general “white culture” notion. Social media users started to add captions to the image hinting at particular scenarios, including singing “Sweet Caroline” at a wedding to being overexcited about the arrival of pumpkin spice season.
In sports, it became firmly established and frequently brought up in debates about white performers excelling in spaces where they are in the minority. For example, its association with NBA players was used as a guide when making similar jokes about white football players and other sports personalities.
A resurgence in 2024
After a few quiet years, the meme roared back to life in November 2024, driven by two major events:
Kamala Harris’s Potential Running Mate: When names, both serious and ridiculous, were tossed around for Vice President Kamala Harris, the hashtag Exciting Wites trended again as users campaigned for either Tim Walz or Pete Buttigieg. It became a bit of fun to underscore the fact that she only had rather limited options.
Philadelphia Eagles’ Meme-worthy Moment: Cooper DeJean and Reed Blankenship, who are cornerbacks for the Eagles, took it to the next level and wore t-shirts with the writing “Exciting Whites” on them on November 14, 2024, before a game. The cheeky link reference brought the phrase back into the realm of sports, re-establishing its meme status.
Why does it resonate?
Trending
Primarily, the Exciting Whites meme serves as a humorous commentary on racial prejudices. It’s not about setting up stereotypes or making random accusations about white culture; rather, it jokingly deconstructs it, using concrete and quite innocuous cases to tease out patterns in music, sports, and politics.
The meme’s longevity is due to the fact that it can easily be introduced into considerations of cultural differences and is not heavy-handed enough to offend anyone.
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