Gritty mascot memes have taken the internet by storm in recent years. Gritty, the mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, has become a viral sensation thanks to his unique and eccentric appearance. His wild orange hair, googly eyes, and toothy grin make him standout among other mascots in the sports world. The creation of Gritty mascot memes started in September 2018 when the Philadelphia Flyers introduced him as their new mascot. Immediately, the internet exploded with memes featuring Gritty in various situations and contexts, ranging from silly and humorous to bizarre and absurd. Gritty's expressive face and playful personality make him the perfect subject for meme creators looking to make a statement or entertain others.
Who is Gritty, and why is he Donald Trump’s mortal enemy?
With Trump’s electoral hopes foundering on the shores of Philadelphia, the hockey mascot takes center stage.
By Emily St. James @emilyvdw Nov 6, 2020, 5:00pm ESTGritty's expressive face and playful personality make him the perfect subject for meme creators looking to make a statement or entertain others. One popular Gritty mascot meme trend involves captioning his image with witty and often sarcastic comments. These memes often parody current events, pop culture references, or social and political commentary.
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Gritty is your 2020 meme queen. Facebook/Courtney Griffiths
Emily St. James was a senior correspondent for Vox, covering American identities. Before she joined Vox in 2014, she was the first TV editor of the A.V. Club.
Philadelphia — and I say this with great affection for a city I adore, where I have many friends and where I have had many amazing visits — is the city God coughed up.
Again, I mean that as a sort of compliment.
Scrappy and rough around the edges, Philadelphia is also central to the story of America’s founding. It’s the city of Benjamin Franklin and the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. It’s also the city of Gritty, about as perfect a stand-in for a city as a sports mascot could possibly hope to be — and to be clear, Philadelphia is already home of the Phillie Phanatic (of baseball’s Philadelphia Phillies), so the city knows from good mascots.
Giant, orange, and furry with wild googly eyes, Gritty is the monster of Philly’s dreams. He reps the Philadelphia Flyers, the city’s NHL franchise, and when he debuted in 2018, he swiftly became a meme beloved by the internet’s many memesters, after a short early period where people were like, “The fuck is this. ”
Gritty’s evolution from googly-eyed hockey mascot to meme to leftist avatar, explained
What’s more, Gritty was embraced by many leftists as an example of the chaotic good energy they hope to bring to the political conversation and/or world. As I wrote in 2018:
You can never quite predict when or how, but sometimes, these empty spaces open up in our collective subconscious, and something shows up to occupy them. Suddenly, a thing is there, and it fits the shape of a void you hadn’t previously noticed. You might characterize Gritty as gross or bizarre or horrible to behold. You might think he is fun meme material. You might admire him as a triumph of personal design smuggled into a corporate context. You might believe he is an advocate of the proletariat. He might be all of these things or none of these things.
But there is a chaos to Gritty that speaks to something in our culture right now. That chaos will be different for me than it is for you. But we are both feeling it, yes? Things weren’t supposed to be this way. But also, things don’t have to be this way.
Some of my favorite antifa gritty memes to celebrate PA going blue pic.twitter.com/JVLLT2KBN2
— allie ✨ (but thankful ) (@ukulelecutie) November 6, 2020
But even if Gritty is a monster who has been embraced by the world at large and the left in particular, he is Philly’s mascot at his core.
This is straight up the best explanation of @GrittyNHL I have ever seen. #Gritty pic.twitter.com/wcoIGWBrE6
— Maxwell T Paule (@VeneficusIpse) November 6, 2020
Philadelphia has proven central to Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory in the state of Pennsylvania, which led to his victory in the presidency. What’s more, Biden is a Democrat, and the American left has mostly united behind him in the name of defeating Donald Trump. (Whether that alliance will hold in the years ahead remains to be seen.)
So, yeah, Gritty memes are back, baby.
The person who created this, is right up there with Michaelangelo. pic.twitter.com/WoyYux2QfF
— David Iskra | Later Traitor! (@IskraDavidPhoto) November 6, 2020
The above meme — which blends Gritty with the Game of Thrones character Olenna Tyrell, who uses her last moments alive to let one character know she was behind the murder of another — was created by Facebook user Courtney Griffiths (a Californian living in London, per Insider) and has become the perfect example of the idea that Gritty himself, in all his Philadelphia freedom, ended the reign of Donald Trump.
Predictably, the Gritty memes and Twitter jokes did not stop there (though the Game of Thrones example is by far the most popular).
If PA flips first Gritty should be allowed to personally drag Trump from the White House and throw him directly into hell.
— James D'Amato (@OneShotRPG) November 6, 2020
by law this means gritty is commerce secretary
— Gabriel Debenedetti (@gdebenedetti) November 6, 2020
And more than a few of the memes leaned into Philadelphia’s reputation for being a city full of scrappers:
Did Gritty save democracy, as these memes might suggest? Of course not. The media’s tendency to treat election coverage as a horse race creates the false idea that Biden “came from behind” to win, when the truth is that Philadelphia’s votes just took longer to count than votes in other parts of Pennsylvania, because it has so many more votes.
But you know what? I’m going to give Philly this one. Congrats to Gritty, a new American revolutionary.
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Gritty, the Hockey Mascot and Meme Machine, Celebrated His First Pride in Philadelphia
Gritty, the beloved orange mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, made an appearance at Philadelphia Pride on Sunday, June 9. Pride Month 2019 is the first since Gritty was introduced in September 2018.
The famously fluffy meme machine was spotted marching in the parade, carrying a variant on the original 1978 rainbow pride flag. Gritty’s flag originated in Philadelphia; as Philly Mag reported in 2017, the city’s leaders decided it would start using a rainbow flag that includes black and brown stripes to represent the racial diversity of the LGBTQ community.
“The black and brown stripes are an inclusionary way to highlight black and brown LGBTQIA members within our community,” an unnamed source involved with flag’s unveiling at Philly’s city hall said at the time. “With all of the black and brown activism that’s worked to address racism in the Gayborhood over the past year, I think the new flag is a great step for the city to show the world that they’re working toward fully supporting all members of our community.”
Gritty clearly loves everybody under the umbrella, and he wasn’t shy about sharing his pride enthusiasm. The ever-conspicuous orange enigma took to Twitter to share a pic of himself and his flag, giving up a peace sign. In a caption, Gritty wrote, “I love love.”
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From mascot to meme to megastar: How Gritty took over the world
Gritty is now a household name, a bona fide celebrity. But the feisty, furry Philadelphia Flyers mascot might not have invaded our lives quite as quickly without his memorable -- and painful -- debut on Sept. 24, 2018. Here's an oral history of how the new king of Philly ascended to the mascot throne and went from getting roasted to being the toast of the sports world.
Gritty's story doesn't begin where you might think. In February 2018, Philadelphia celebrated the biggest moment in its sports history. After winning the Super Bowl, the Eagles were welcomed home by crowds of fans . and mascots.
Joe Heller, Flyers VP for brand strategy and creative content: I remember watching the Eagles' bus come back with the team on it. The people leading the parade were the Phillie Phanatic, the Eagles' Swoop and the 76ers' Franklin. And I thought, "Of all the things that we can't be part of . We have nobody to align with those three mascots."
Shawn Tilger, former Flyers chief operating officer: We looked at each other and said, "OK, it's time to give this thing a shot."
Heller: The Sixers, Eagles and Phillies were so active with their mascots. We were missing 250 events a year where the Flyers were not represented.
Gritty's over-the-top appearance serves as a stark contrast to the serious or mundane subject matter, adding an extra layer of humor to the meme. Another common theme in Gritty mascot memes is his interactions with other mascots or celebrities. Memes featuring Gritty alongside other mascots from different sports teams have sparked friendly rivalries and playful banter among fans. Additionally, Gritty's popularity has led to collaborations with celebrities, such as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who have been featured in memes alongside the mascot. Gritty mascot memes also often highlight his mischievous and unpredictable behavior. Whether it's photobombing a sporting event, pulling pranks on unsuspecting fans, or engaging in wild antics, Gritty's playful nature has provided meme creators with countless opportunities to create hilarious and memorable content. Overall, gritty mascot memes have become a cultural phenomenon, capturing the imagination of internet users worldwide. With his distinct appearance and larger-than-life personality, Gritty has become an unlikely but beloved icon, and will likely continue to inspire memes and entertain the internet for years to come..
Reviews for "Gritty Memes and Social Commentary: Examining the Subtext"
1. Name: Emily
Rating: 1/5
Review: I really don't understand the hype around gritty mascot memes. They are just weird and creepy. I don't find them funny or entertaining at all. It feels like people are just trying too hard to make something out of nothing. I don't see any creativity or humor in these memes. They just make me uncomfortable, and I honestly don't get why anyone would enjoy them.
2. Name: John
Rating: 2/5
Review: I tried to give gritty mascot memes a chance, but they just aren't my cup of tea. I understand that humor is subjective, but I find these memes to be too bizarre and random for my liking. I prefer memes that have a clear punchline or a relatable aspect to them. Gritty mascot memes seem to be all over the place, lacking coherence and structure. Maybe they appeal to a certain niche, but for me, they just don't hit the mark.
3. Name: Sarah
Rating: 2/5
Review: I've seen quite a few gritty mascot memes shared on social media, and I must admit, I don't find them amusing. The whole concept seems forced and overly edgy. It's like they are trying too hard to push boundaries and shock people. I prefer memes that are clever and witty, rather than relying on shock value. Gritty mascot memes just don't do it for me. I guess everyone has different tastes in humor, but this trend is not for me.