A Journey into Pepehood
It all started in the most likely of places – amidst the chaotic emoji-storms of Discord servers during the NFT bull run. There, in the form of emoji reactions, I found Pepe. It was like unearthing a treasure, one that would lead me down an unexpected rabbit hole of digital culture.
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First to come clean: I was a shitcoiner. But as I navigated through the shitcoinized world, I stumbled upon a fascinating byproduct – the sprawling universe of Pepe derivatives - especially the rare Pepes and how they intertwined with Bitcoin Culture and Art. It was both overwhelming and intriguing, sparking a curiosity that drove me deeper into the lore of this green frog.
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My journey led me to explore the roots of Pepe, created by the mastermind Matt Furie. It was curious to me that his simple character turned into a global meme phenomenon. But the real plot twist hit me at an artist gathering in San Francisco. While holding a copy of Furie’s “The Night Riders,” I was sucked into a vortex of intense discussions about Pepe’s cultural impact, including its unexpected drift into darker territories.
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Here I was, a quiet conservative libertarian living in San Francisco, in the midst of liberal artists dissecting Pepe’s associations with so-called fascism. It was like walking a tightrope of my convictions. In response to my constant unease around the woke disapproval of Pepe, my fascination with Pepe only deepened.
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The more I pondered, the more I saw parallels between Pepe and the age-old debate of artistic inspiration versus theft. Picasso’s quote about artists stealing rang true. I know it’s everywhere – from George Lucas borrowing from old war movies for “Star Wars,” to Tarantino’s dance scenes echoing Fellini’s masterpieces. Pepe is just another canvas in the grand gallery of art history.
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Enter NOSTR; Pepe took on a new role in my life. Sharing Pepe memes became a cathartic ritual, a way to connect with kindred spirits like Ser Sleepy, Nakad.ai and Tanel. It was a digital haven, a community where my often misunderstood affinity for a green frog wasn’t just accepted but celebrated - and often zapped!
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Today, my Pepe stash is an impressive collection – each one a pixel in the larger picture of my journey. It’s a constantly expanding pepeverse, mirroring my evolving understanding of art, expression, and memes.
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For me it turned out to be about finding a piece of myself in the unlikeliest of places – in the mischievous smirk of a green frog.
