Kelly the philosophical gorilla and the story behind the biggest meme of the moment
Kelly, from LA Zoo, has spawned one of the greatest memes of our times.
A gorilla from a zoo in California has spawned a meme that has gone viral online and across languages.
The meme’s success appeared to begin on Reddit, where user “lexlevi” pointed out that Kelly – a 30-year-old silverback Western Lowland gorilla from Los Angeles Zoo – looked like he was giving a philosophy lecture to the crowd in front of his enclosure.
— Los Angeles Zoo (@LAZoo) June 25, 2017
It’s uncanny, but according to the zoo’s staff photographer who took the picture it’s not very representative of Kelly’s usual behaviour.
“Normally he is quite reclusive and shies away from visitors,” Jamie Pham, 39, told the Press Association. “I certainly did not know I was taking such a funny photo. I was aiming to get an image of the gorilla and the visitors watching him as it’s very, very rare for him to sit towards the front of the exhibit.”
— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) June 25, 2017
“It’s always completely shocking and unexpected when something goes viral,” said Pham. “A clever caption goes a long way in making that happen.”
He’s not wrong there. Here’s a collection of the best the internet has come up with – what was Kelly’s lecture all about?
1. A Gorillas In The Mist parody
— Sam Grittner (@SamGrittner) June 24, 2017
2. In memory of Harambe
— memes (@memeprovider) June 24, 2017
3. A Planet Of The Apes parody
— Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) June 25, 2017
4. A King Kong parody – in French
— Agathos (@ImAgathos) June 24, 2017
Translated the post reads: “And then I told him ‘Stop your bullshit King Kong… you ain’t gonna climb a skyscraper for a girl’ And he still did it, the idiot.”
5. Kelly’s take on the the environment
People: Awwww he's so cute
Gorilla: pic.twitter.com/BTkMTuuGAE
— Matt Post (@MattPostSaysHi) June 24, 2017
6. An Every Which Way But Loose parody
— Corky Kneivel (@CorkyKneivel) June 25, 2017
7. The Titanic debate
— Michael Tiberi (@MichaelJTiberi) June 25, 2017
8. Some US history
— Maggie Serota ? (@maggieserota) June 24, 2017
9. A fourth-wall break
— David Roth (@david_j_roth) June 25, 2017
10. Discussion of a Radiohead album
— Maggie Serota ? (@maggieserota) June 24, 2017
11. A Phil Collins discussion
— RamAlbumClub (@RamAlbumClub) June 25, 2017
12. And finally… some real talk
— Jamie McKelvie (@McKelvie) June 25, 2017
