The “Toilet Revolution” of 2023: Crucial Lessons for Business and Life.

What makes a meme a meme, and what can it teach us?

Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD
5 min readAug 18, 2023

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Photo courtesy of author

I know what you did this summer. At least, if you are one of the tens of millions of people watching short videos featuring animated talking heads in a toilet — Skibidi Toilets.

Unless you are a Gen Alpha teen roaming the Internet, you are probably wondering what’s so fascinating about watching toilets with heads coming out of the bowl, fighting with “people” whose heads have been replaced with TVs, speakers, or cameras.

And who is the creator of these bizarre — and, truth be told, somewhat unedifying — toilet humor videos? Penry the mild-mannered janitor? Could be, but probably not.

Our hero goes by the nom-de-plume DaFuq!?Boom!.

Intrigued, I urgently wanted to know more.

This might not seem essential for a corporate lawyer and law professor. But it is. My “nose” tells me this is significant. A window onto a future that disappears before it has arrived.

Everyone needs to consider the latest trends and developments, particularly viral ones. Because thinking about what makes a piece of content hugely popular — a super meme — keeps my teaching fresh and helps “me” to stay engaged and alive.

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Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD
Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD

Written by Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD

Where Gen X memories meet today’s struggles.

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