Meaning
What does Pepperidge Farm Remembers mean?
The phrase Pepperidge Farm Remembers has become a popular internet meme used to mock and satirize nostalgic tendencies.
It is accompanied by an image macro of an elderly character from Family Guy, recalling something from the past. The phrase is typically used in a tongue-in-cheek manner to highlight the absurdity of overly sentimental nostaliga.
Example: Let me tell you about a time when bread came in plastic bags, and not these fancy ziplock ones. Pepperidge Farm remembers!
Origin
What's the origin of Pepperidge Farm Remembers?
The origin of the phrase can be traced back to the early 1980s when Pepperidge Farm, a popular bakery brand in the United States, launched a series of television commercials. The commercials featured an elderly man named Rudolph reminiscing about the “good ol’ days” when Pepperidge Farm made their cookies and bread. Rudolph would often begin his stories with the iconic phrase, “Pepperidge Farm Remembers.”
The commercial was brought back to the lives of people in 2006, when Family Guy aired its Season 5 Episode 3 chapter, titled “Hell Comes to Quahog”. The episode features a gag, which replicates the ad. This scene was later used as the source for image macro memes, revolving around reminiscing.
Spread & Usage
How did Pepperidge Farm Remembers spread?
The meme first emerged in the early 2010s, the era of formats like Good Guy Greg and Bad Luck Brian.
On June 4th, 2012, the first “Pepperidge Farm Remembers” meme was submitted to the r/funny subreddit of Reddit, depicting a screenshot of a YouTube comment, reminiscing about ad-free YouTube.
Within two days, the “Pepperidge Farm Remembers” Tumblr blog was launched, with the first image macros appearing there. These were originally combined with the logo of the bakery, rather than the screenshot from Family Guy, which format emerged in August, 2012.
It quickly became a meme used in various online communities, such as social media platforms and forums. People started using the phrase to jokingly exaggerate instances of nostalgia and an overly sentimental attitude towards the past.
From mocking outdated technology to satirizing fashion trends and cultural fads, “Pepperidge Farm Remembers” became a way to poke fun at the sentimentality that often accompanies discussions about the past. It has gained significant traction and remains a staple meme in the online world, with countless variations and updated examples being shared daily.
