Today, HousingWire attempts to reach out to the younger generation. They are, after all, our future, and we need to get them interested in housing before it’s too late. Otherwise, we’re all going to be working in this industry until we keel over because no one will be replenishing the ranks.
Last week, our intern, Paul, told us that he and his friends speak in “memes.” What is a meme, you ask? Well, a meme (rhymes with “dream”) is a picture that has gone viral, usually with two lines of text pointing out the ironies, hilarity and injustices of life.
Where do the pictures come from? The Internet. The Internet creates these things and gives them life. There’s a really good chance no one has any idea where the original picture came from, but somehow the pictures perfectly describe some sort of typical life problem, which the meme creator then exploits.
So, we would like to present our housing memes. These little guys are our attempt at communication with the younger generation, and also helping you older farts understand what these whipper snappers are talking about these days.
Meme #1: Shocked Koala
Notice the look of utter shock on this meme’s face. Much like, we think, the shock of many homeowners when they can’t refinance their home through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac even though, on paper, they meet all of the qualifications. Or, as the meme would say, “Koalifications.” Feel free to chuckle.
Meme #2: Success Kid
Perhaps the most recognizable meme, this tot has clearly accomplished something successful. Look at that accomplishment shining on his face. Perhaps he’s one of the only college grads that can buy a home with all of those student loans hanging over him. That would be a success.
Meme #3: Antoine Dodson
Antoine Dodson is a viral Internet star if there ever was one. After being interviewed on camera after a man tried to assault his sister, Dodson’s entertaining antics became the stuff of legends. His rant was auto-tuned by the Gregory Brothers, eventually peaking at 89 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It has been downloaded more than 100,000 times on iTunes. Dodson became so popular he sold Halloween costumes of himself.
Well obviously, we also think Dodson would have a problem with strategic defaulters. Run and tell THAT.
Meme #4: “Y U NO” Guy
This meme is meant to channel all frustration about a problem into this poor guy’s face. I mean, look at that anger. The original meme read, “I TXT U. Y U NO TXT BACK?” We assume that frustration is comparable to the frustration the Treasury feels about those pesky community banks not paying back TARP.
Meme #5: Lawyer Dog
Who doesn’t want a corgi wearing a tie and looking regal — or shall we say, legal? This little dog has been used in more memes than most can count, always mixing legal jargon with doggie slang. For instance:
Meme #6: Hey Girl
The “Hey Girl” memes usually feature the face of smooth-talking heartthrob Ryan Gosling. “Hey Girl” is usually followed by some suave sentence that would make all females weak at the knees. And who is the Ryan Gosling of the mortgage finance world? Ben Bernanke, of course.
Now, don’t you just feel younger?
