Meaning
What does Don’t Let the Flame Die Out mean?
Don’t let the flame die out refers to a memorable quote from The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, said by Plankton in the midst of an emotional monologue.
Online the quote is used in reaction image macros, GIFs and reaction videos, while also appearing in post titles and comments alike.
Origin
What's the origin of Don’t Let the Flame Die Out?
The SpongeBob SquarePants movie premiered in the United States on November 14th, 2004.
In one of the scenes, Plankton is being interviewed, telling a passionate story when he exclaims “Don’t let the flame die out”.
An early parody of the scene can be attributed to YouTube user, Spaghetto who uploaded a video to the platform on February 13th, 2019, with the title “I Won’t Let The Flame Die Out AC”.
Spread & Usage
How did Don’t Let the Flame Die Out spread?
With popular memes, like Gangster SpongeBob, Mocking SpongeBob and Caveman SpongeBob originating from the franchise, the meme was set to spread.
“Don’t let the flame die out” appeared in numerous other YouTube uploads, as well as image macro and reaction GIF memes on sites like Reddit, DeviantArt, 9GAG and Imgur, starting in August 2019.
The meme experienced a resurgence in popularity in February 2021, emerging in various posts across the web again.
External resources
- Hinative.com – What is the meaning of “don’t let the flame die out”?
- Reddit – r/BikiniBottomTwitter