Breaking Meme: The Breaking Bad Season 5 Meme-down

A friend of mine mentioned that when it comes to Breaking Bad, the internet moves faster than normal. So I had planned on trying to keep up after watching Sunday night's broadcast of new episode "Buried." All day Monday I scanned for new memes based on the episode, and I was going to make a handy compilation for you guys. But the web was decidedly quieter this week than it was last week after the season 5.2 premiere, "Blood Money."

But in my head I promised you guys a Breaking Bad meme-down, so a meme-down you shall have.

It should go without saying that some of these links contain spoilers if you're not up-to-date with the show. Here goes...

1. Badger's Animated Star Trek Spec Idea
The most amazing thing about this video is that it appeared on Vulture.com only a few hours after the episode first aired.


2. The Evolution of Color Throughout the Series
There are some wonderful books out there that discuss how filmmakers can use color intelligently to convey additional information to the audience, often subconsciously, but it turns out Breaking Bad has been putting on a master class. Thankfully, this guy at The Droid You're Looking For was paying attention.

3. Breaking Bad Middle School Musical
YouTube doesn't need my promotional help, but last week for their Geek Week they debuted a few original musicals performed by kids for things like Star Trek TOS and Breaking Bad.

4. Easter Eggs
There has been a lot of internet scuttlebutt about different Easter Eggs the creators of the show have hidden in it, and most of them aren't Easter Eggs at all, just intelligent or interesting storytelling moments, or even just totally obvious moments that nobody missed in the first place. But Buzzfeed put together a list (as they do) of interesting patterns of behavior throughout the show and what they might prophesy if they continue.

Check out our earlier infographic "Six Things Breaking Bad Has Ruined Forever."

Nerds/Feather Holiday Card: Take 1.

I hope everyone who celebrates had a Merry Christmas, and that those who do not have had or will have excellent holidays of their own. If this blog were to send out holiday cards, I might choose to encode this video for your viewing pleasure:

Help us Joss Whedon. You're Our Only Hope.

6 Things Breaking Bad Has Ruined Forever [Infographic]

RAIDERS OF THE LOST MEME: 2003

The year was 2003. The world was finally at peace. Some, though, continued to doubt the key role that outdated and redundant weapons systems had played in eradicating war and strife. Only a few were brave enough to speak out against them, yet did so with unmatched eloquence. Like this guy:

RAIDERS OF THE LOST MEME: 2002

It was the year 2002. Our valiant efforts to stem the tide of strife unleashed by Y2K were all successful, leading to a magical world without war, taxes or rational limits on housing prices. And so it was that a nation found itself transfixed by a kid with a fake lightsaber:

RAIDERS OF THE LOST MEME: 2001

It was the year 2001. We were slowly crawling out of the nuclear blast zone left by Y2K when a sudden spate of calamities struck, and struck us hard. In what could only herald an organized campaign of terror on the high seas, sharks began congregating off the Florida coast in unnatural numbers. Meanwhile, pop star Brittany Spears was savagely attacked by a Burmese Reticulated Python.

The snake begins the slow process of constricting its victim.

On the man-made side, ethical and not-politically-connected energy company Enron misplaced its accounting books (oops!) while California failed to reconnect the electricity grids knocked out by the computer crashes of 2000. Then something really bad happened. In a spontaneous display of mourning and solidarity with the victims, Americans and visitors to the United States began ritually taking off our shoes at airports.

In these troubled times, we yearned for art that reflected our new, harder and tougher sensibilities, something that could soothe our wounded souls and give us the vision and moral clarity we needed to move on. Yes, in such times, these were the only words that could truly speak to us:

In A.D. 2101
War was beginning.
Captain: What happen ?
Mechanic: Somebody set up us the bomb.
Operator: We get signal.
Captain: What !
Operator: Main screen turn on.
Captain: It's you !!
CATS: How are you gentlemen !!
CATS: All your base are belong to us.
CATS: You are on the way to destruction.
Captain: What you say !!
CATS: You have no chance to survive make your time.
CATS: Ha ha ha ha ....
Operator: Captain !! *
Captain: Take off every 'ZIG'!!
Captain: You know what you doing.
Captain: Move 'ZIG'.
Captain: For great justice.

...and then we wanted to dance.

Nerdgasm! Interactive Mars Panorama on Your Phone

I found out about this on TheAtlantic.com (original article) -- there is an interactive, 360-degree panorama of Mars made from assembled Curiosity Rover pictures, and when you access it on your phone, it uses the built-in accelerometer and compass to re-orient the image in real-time. That means as you sit in your desk chair and spin slowly around, your office turns into freaking Mars.

Freaking Mars.

The planet Mars.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST MEME: 2000

It was the year 2000. We were slowly recovering from the great computer crash of Y2K and the widespread rioting and looting that followed. We were traumatized, and thus sought comfort in the guise of a little dancing fella with a catchy little song. Sure it wasn't "from" 2000, but it was there for us in our time of need.

"Enjoy."

RAIDERS OF THE LOST MEME: 1999

It was late December 1999. Bill Clinton was still President of the USA. Boris Yeltsin was still President of Russia. People had jobs, you didn't have to take off your shoes at the airport, a hotmail address was still kinda okay and it is thought most people were preoccupied with the mythical doomsday event "YK2," widely thought by contemporary observers to be imminent and unavoidable.

Recent archeological evidence, though, points to a society that produced crude, yet oddly compelling memes--some, even, would say these ancient works of art contain an authenticity lacking within our modern society. We here at the University of Nerdopolis will let you decide for yourself.

EXHIBIT 1: