The popular ‘Sad and Alone’ meme was created by Redditor Rovert Pattinson in the wake of Season 2’s premiere of Game of Thrones. Inspired by the infamous Ned Stark (played by Paul Bettany), the humorist created a new character — a middle-aged man wearing a tuxedo and sitting in a corner by himself — and put that character in each frame of the meme.
The meme was so successful that it went viral and eventually caught the attention of the YouTube community. Since then, it’s been associated with everything from ‘grammar bros’ to Rooster Teeth and Game of Thrones fans.
Where Did the ‘Sad and Alone’ Meme Come From?
Rovert Pattinson, the creator of the ‘Sad and Alone’ meme, identifies himself as a “serial meme maker” on his Twitter page. He goes on to say:
- I make memes because I love memes
- It makes me happy when other people enjoy my work
- I want to create something that will stay with people
It’s clear that he has a talent for creating funny memes, so it shouldn’t come as a great surprise that the internet’s favorite ‘middle-aged man in a corner’ resembled someone so closely associated with memes: Ned Stark.
What’s The Difference Between The ‘Sad and Alone’ Meme And The Real Life Character?
While the inspiration for the ‘Sad and Alone’ meme is likely Paul Bettany’s portrayal of Ned Stark in Season 2 of Game of Thrones, there are some crucial differences between the fictional character and the meme. First, instead of being a middle-aged man in a suit, the fictional character is most often portrayed as a young, fit nobleman. In addition, the ‘Sad and Alone’ meme often features another individual (most often, but not always, a man) standing in the same corner as the middle-aged man in a suit. In other words, the meme exists in a way that is primarily associated with men.
Most notably, though, is that the ‘Sad and Alone’ meme is intended to be humorous, whereas the real life counterpart is meant to reflect social situations that the creator/inventor does not find humorous.
What Is The ‘Sad and Alone’ Meme’s Role In Popular Culture?
The ‘Sad and Alone’ meme has, for the most part, remained relatively unknown outside of Reddit and Twitter until relatively recently. That is likely because its creator did not want it to become a meme himself; he was most interested in using it as a tool to highlight instances of loneliness in society. Once the creators of online communities like Reddit and Twitter began associating it with memes and the internet’s fascination with memes grew, so did its notoriety.
The popularity of the ‘Sad and Alone’ meme has led to it appearing in a number of high-profile, mainstream media instances. It has, in fact, been referenced in the recent hit movie Marriage Story and in a tweet from Kumail Nanjiani.
Whether or not you find the ‘middle-aged man in a corner’ character to be a hilarious highlight reel of loneliness that the creator envisioned it to be, he did not intend it to be associated with his death or any type of ghoulish imagery. Instead, he used it to make a point about loneliness in our society and how it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ‘Sad and Alone’ meme is, at its heart, an illustration of the stark reality of social distancing. At this point in 2020, many people are finding it difficult to socialize due to the pandemic. The video above illustrates this point very well. The individual in the video feels isolated, alone, and awkward because he is physically distancing himself from another human being, but, at the same time, he feels connected to other human beings online, thanks to the internet. This instance of social distancing is not necessarily a bad thing. It is just something that we, as a society, have to get used to.
Why Is The ‘Sad and Alone’ Meme Important?
As noted, the creator of the ‘Sad and Alone’ meme wanted to draw attention to loneliness in our society and how it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic. In his eyes, loneliness can lead to all sorts of dangerous behavior. He says:
“I think it’s important to point out that loneliness is actually a dangerous disease. It causes all sorts of bad behavior. One of the biggest problems is that people who are lonely tend to think that they are the only ones in the world who feel the way they do. They feel very isolated. But, in fact, they are not. They are connected to hundreds of thousands of people through the internet. And they think that no one understands them, which makes them even more alone. That’s why it’s important to me to let people know that there are people out there who understand exactly how they feel.”
Loneliness, as a social issue, is something that society has not had to grapple with since before the start of the current millennium. This COVID-19 pandemic has led to many people feeling alone for the very first time. It is only natural that memes about loneliness would emerge as people attempt to make sense of their new, more intimate connections with others online.
The ‘Sad and Alone’ meme is, at its heart, an illustration of the stark reality of social distancing. At this point in 2020, many people are finding it difficult to socialize due to the pandemic. The video above illustrates this point very well. The individual in the video feels isolated, alone, and awkward because he is physically distancing himself from another human being, but, at the same time, he feels connected to other human beings online, thanks to the internet. This instance of social distancing is not necessarily a bad thing. It is just something that we, as a society, have to get used to.
Loneliness, as a social issue, is something that society has not had to grapple with since before the start of the current millennium. This COVID-19 pandemic has led to many people feeling alone for the very first time. It is only natural that memes about loneliness would emerge as people attempt to make sense of their new, more intimate connections with others online.