The Evolution of Crying Reaction Memes: from 2010S Viral Video to Modern Brain Rot Culture
By Sarah Jenkins
While Lockridge’s sound dominated audio remixes, Michael Jordan supplied the definitive reaction image template for visual mockery. Associated Press photographer Stephan Savoia captured the photograph on September 11, 2009, during the Michael Jordan Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts. Jordan stood at the lectern, eyes bloodshot and tears streaming down his cheeks, overwhelmed as fans gave him a three-minute standing ovation.
The image lay dormant for three years before mutating into a viral reaction gif and cutout graphic around 2012. Internet users isolated Jordan’s streaming eyes and turned the face into an emblem of failure. Whenever an NFL quarterback threw an interception, an NBA title contender blew a fourth-quarter lead, or a politician lost an election, digital artists pasted Jordan’s wet face over the loser’s portrait.
Analysis from USA Today on bawling adults across NCAA tournament brackets highlighted how crying athletes became social media shorthand for elimination. Jordan’s meme thrived on sharp irony: the most cutthroat competitor in basketball history was reduced to the face of complete defeat.
Jordan took the phenomenon in stride. When he delivered his eulogy for Kobe Bryant at Staples Center in 2020, he knowingly joked that he would have to look at another crying meme for the next three years, earning a roar of self-aware laughter from the crowd.
Sarah Jenkins is a veteran tech journalist with over 12 years of experience covering artificial intelligence, mobile innovations, and digital ethics. Her insights have appeared in leading technology publications worldwide.
