R. Kelly Memes Take Over Twitter After Gayle King Interview

People around the world are were shocked by R. Kelly's tearful interview on CBS News, and some [...]

By Michael Hein

People around the world are were shocked by R. Kelly's tearful interview on CBS News, and some have turned it into a viral meme.

The case against Kelly has been mounting, as multiple allegations of sexual assault and related crimes move forward. The singer has been accused of child sexual abuse, producing and distributing child pornography and many other crimes over the years, and now they are all coming together in the wake of the Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly.

The accusations leveled against Kelly are very serious, and according to many of his alleged victims, they have already had lasting ramifications. The documentary even takes pains to note that the crimes are deeply entrenched in American pop culture, where Kelly has been an iconic figure for decades.

Still, social media users cannot help but make light of the situation, especially in the wake of Kelly's strange interview. The singer sat down for a 90 minute talk with CBS News' Gayle King, where he cried, squealed, and at one point even stood up, pacing the studio and gesturing violently.

The clip surprised many of Kelly's long-time fans, and brought renewed attention to the case. Since the interview came out, people have been re-posting and editing it to mock Kelly. In most cases, they poke fun at his melodrama, or imply that he is guilty.

The humor strikes some the wrong way, however, and the memes have become a strange meeting point for different perspectives. Here is a look at how the internet is processing Kelly's explosive interview.

'Too Damn Bad'

Lots of the memes that came out this week featured different ways of refuting Kelly's desperate plea. That included this one, with a clip showing how Twitter at large felt about his complaints.

prevnext

'Can I Get a McFlurry?'

Of course, another popular genre of meme involved re-purposing Kelly's high-pitched monologue for other, more mundane problems. In addition to this McDonald's-themed one, users applied Kelly's tears to video games, school and games.

prevnext

Wiz Khalifa

View this post on Instagram

When you already high and niggas keep passin you the weed. #2009

A post shared by Wiz Khalifa (@wizkhalifa) on

Even rapper Wiz Khalifa got in on the trend, posting a clip of Kelly's interview on Instagram and applying it to his infamous love for marijuana.

"When you already high and n—s keep passin you the weed," he wrote.

prevnext

Justice Brett Kavanaugh

Kelly's anger in the interview drew a lot of comparisons to the hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who faced several accusations of sexual assault. Kavanaugh had some viral moments of his own while defending himself, and some viewers saw a pattern reflected in Kelly.

prevnext

Remix

One enterprising producer even re-purposed Kelly's angry diatribe for an improvised dance track, which found its way around the Internet on many different platforms.

prevnext

Uno

Some of the most popular memes involved a degree of video editing, such as this one where a user put a table covered in Uno cards between King and Kelly. The creator put a "draw 4" card in King's hand, redirecting Kelly's outrage toward a timeless children's card game.

prevnext

Other Accused

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, many memes related Kelly's case to those of other infamous sexual assault charges. This included one post about Michael Jackson's newly rehashed allegations of child sexual abuse, where a user posted a classic Vine.

prevnext

Not a Joke

Finally, as the memes found purchase online, some users interjected, reminding their followers about the seriousness of the case. They asked that people consider the damage Kelly has done to his alleged victims before turning him into a joke.

prev
0comments
Start the Conversation

of