The mark of whether a show has become a cultural phenomenon or not can often be measured by how many memes it manages to produce. It’s probably not surprising that the hit series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has ignited its own cottage industry of memes, particularly those focused on Frank Reynolds (inimitably played by Danny DeVito).
When he joined the series in the second season, Frank immediately became a sensation, and the moment when he (strangely) offered a woman an egg after Charlie had thrown up fake blood all over her has, itself, become the source of some truly hilarious memes.
Frank Does Look Sort Of Like An Egg
One of the things that makes this show so funny is its physical comedy. In fact, it’s precisely the deviant nature of the characters’ bodies-and the many things that they do with them-that makes this unlike most comedies currently on television. It’s also worth pointing out that, in some ways, Frank actually does resemble an egg, something that this meme manages to capture by literally turning Frank into one of the eggs that he’s so fond of offering to others.
The Deep Roots Of A Meme
One of the funniest sorts of memes currently making the rounds of the internet are those that take old art and transform it into something hilarious for the present day. This is an excellent example of just that kind of humor, as the viewer gets to see a tonsured priest offering up what looks suspiciously like an egg. It has to be said, though, that Frank Reynolds probably wouldn’t make the best priest, either in the 13th century or the 21st.
You’ve Got A Friend In Me
The internet has provided introverts and awkward people everywhere an outlet for their weirdness. More than that, though, it has also created an atmosphere in which strange people can find their own form of community. It’s precisely this phenomenon that this meme taps into it, as it shows someone very uncomfortable with offering consolation flailing and, in desperation, offering an egg.
After all, who wouldn’t be cheered up if someone happened to offer them an egg, particularly a nice one?
DeVito Makes Everything Better
Let’s be real. Danny DeVito was one of the best things to happen to this show. His comedy chops are second to none, and he’s not afraid to do all sorts of physical comedy that other actors might avoid. More than that, though, he seems to be a genuinely affable person in real life as well, and this meme reminds the viewer that just watching Danny DeVito, either in this series or in any one of his other screen efforts, is sure to bring a smile and a laugh.
Who Doesn’t Love A Meme?
In some important ways, memes are like their own language. They have their own system of meaning that may seem impenetrable to others but which makes perfect sense to those who are immersed in its ways. They are also, as anyone who spends any amount of time on the internet knows, a means of dealing with anxiety and unhappiness. That’s what makes this particular meme so brilliant, since it exhibits a sort of self-awareness and self-reflexivity that isn’t always very common on the internet.
The Mind Readers At Google
Everyone’s been there. Someone starts thinking about or talking about something, and then it seems to suddenly appear everywhere in a social media feed and in your Google searches. As this meme points out, there’s something both slightly creepy about it (because, let’s face it, Frank is usually pretty creepy) and also banal about it. At this point, almost everyone has gotten used to internet ad companies being all up in their business.
This Calls For An Egg
There’s no question that the present is a very trying time, particularly since the pandemic is still going strong. Though it would be tempting to think that a nice egg would make everything go away, the truth is that they won’t. What’s brilliant about this meme is it manages to capture both DeVito’s remarkable range of physical expressivity as well as the bleakness and nihilism that seems to characterize so much of what’s going on in the world right now.
Bringing Out The Best
Despite the fact that the present is a very troubling time, there is still hope in the world, and there are still good people who want to make the world a better place. As this meme makes clear, it really is up to each and every person to do the best that they can to be the egg that they want to see in the world, to offer comfort when others are suffering and to be a voice of compassion.
Darth DeVito
The scene in Revenge of the Sith where Anakin lies broken and near death is one of the most heartrending in the entire film, and when Palpatine arrives one can’t help but feel both relief that Anakin will be saved and terror at what he will eventually become.
The brilliance of this meme lies in its ability to take this dramatic moment and render it into something absolutely ridiculous and hilarious (which the show is very good at doing, as well).
Eggs Everywhere!
Animal Crossing was one of those things that became very popular during the early stages of the quarantine, when everyone was trying to keep themselves entertained. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a glitch early on, resulting in numerous eggs popping out everywhere. It was, of course, a perfect opportunity for this meme to make its appearance, and one can’t help but laugh at the thought of eggs appearing rather than what one is actually searching for.