The doom is coming, and Patrick Star is its harbinger.You've almost certainly seen the "evil Patrick" meme by now, but if you haven't: The image of Spongebob’s pink starfish neighbor, grinning maniacally, has been going around the internet to serve as a way to reference the fucked-up things we all do to one another, but don't like to admit.For example:After a futile attempt to lure Spongebob back to civilization with a picnic, Patrick loses his mind and attempts to catch and kill his best friend. Though Patrick fails in his mission, Spongebob is forced to return home anyway after being stung by jellyfish and attacked by poisonous sea urchins.
According to r/MemeEconomy, Evil/Malicious Patrick is the "spongebob meme of the 2018," but at the heart of this seemingly harmless internet joke lies a dark message. The picture of Patrick comes from an episode in season one titled “Nature Pants,” in which Spongebob Squarepants quits his job, gives away his earthly possessions, and attempts to live with jellyfish in the wild.
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Ultimately, Patrick wins—Spongebob’s dream of living in harmony with nature fails. Bob’s goal of giving up his "cold industrial life in favor of a more natural and free life among the jellyfish" is a noble one, but the die is cast. Bikini Bottom and its industrial park are a mechanical hellscape that offer no quarter to nature, and so nature gives no quarter to the foolish sponge in return.In short, evil Patrick tells us that our friends are doing all kinds of messed up things behind our backs because nothing matters—no matter where we run, and no matter where we hide, the folly of our ancestors will follow us until our ruination.
So, anyway, might as well enjoy the fleeting joy of this meme because things are only going to get worse from here.Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily.Follow Peter Slattery on Twitter.