Meaning
What does Consider The Following mean?
Consider the following is an expression that is often used to sparkle discussion or debate in internet communities.
It can be also used to remark wrong decisions in a satiric way, and to make fun of someone’s opposing viewpoint.
Origin
What's the origin of Consider The Following?
Bill Nye the Science Guy was a popular science and education TV-series in the 1990s.
The show had an often-reappearing segment titled Consider the Following. In these short episodes Bill usually gave a quick explanation of the science behind an everyday, ordinary tool or phenomenon.
The first attempt to make this title into phrase roots back to 4chan’s /a/ board in 2009. The expression was used to heat up a debate regarding anime.
Spread & Usage
How did Consider The Following spread?
The term circulated in threads on 4chan in 2009-2010. Memes of this kind usually featured Bill Nye or another character pointing to one side of the image where the caption could be found.
Later on, the consider the following format was shifted into reaction memes. These memes often contained an image of a manual on how to make a slipknot, implying someone’s mortal incompetence on a certain topic.
These memes saw a mild success on forums like Reddit or Twitter.
External resources
- Know Your Meme – Consider The Following