Ermahgerd!
October 16, 2015 7:11 AM Subscribe
this shit and troll food makes me lose my shit every time. i'd love to know why. or maybe i don't actually want to figure it out; surely the answer is that i'm somehow a horrible person.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 7:31 AM on October 16, 2015
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 7:31 AM on October 16, 2015
It's nice to read one of these stories that seems ... happy, I guess. I'm glad Maggie Goldenberger seems to have a sense of humor about the whole thing (even on the nasty comments she got about the more recent photo of her in a bikini seem to show a sense of self-awareness). And it seems she always did -- since the original photo was a made-up character. And at least the versions of this meme I've seen never felt mean-spirited. Yeah, there's maybe somewhat of a mocking tone with the speech pattern, but they all seem to be about genuine excitement.
I hope life continues to treat her well.
posted by darksong at 7:33 AM on October 16, 2015 [23 favorites]
I hope life continues to treat her well.
posted by darksong at 7:33 AM on October 16, 2015 [23 favorites]
I have a faible for meme-reconstructions, and this one's well done.
Not to pick a nit, but: shouldn't it be GERSBERMPS, or at the very least GERSBERMBS?
(Or is it actually a characteristic of these fictitious interior voices that variation & error is allowed/encouraged?)
posted by progosk at 7:35 AM on October 16, 2015
Not to pick a nit, but: shouldn't it be GERSBERMPS, or at the very least GERSBERMBS?
(Or is it actually a characteristic of these fictitious interior voices that variation & error is allowed/encouraged?)
posted by progosk at 7:35 AM on October 16, 2015
The ERMEHGERD meme has successfully become part of my husband and I's personal language with each other.
My wife and I used make "grercery lersts" of things like "terlert perper" and "wertwern verneger". It made shopping a fun deciphering game.
I'm glad she's taken it in stride. Publishing bikini pics is pretty messed up, though. Why the hell you'd want to doxx or harass someone who made you laugh is beyond me.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:36 AM on October 16, 2015 [12 favorites]
My wife and I used make "grercery lersts" of things like "terlert perper" and "wertwern verneger". It made shopping a fun deciphering game.
I'm glad she's taken it in stride. Publishing bikini pics is pretty messed up, though. Why the hell you'd want to doxx or harass someone who made you laugh is beyond me.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:36 AM on October 16, 2015 [12 favorites]
My wife and I used make "grercery lersts" of things like "terlert perper" and "wertwern verneger".
It's so common between me and my wife at this point that the other night we went out to eat and I ordered the swart purderer fries and it took the look of pure horror on my wife's face to realize that I should clarify my order to the waiter.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 7:37 AM on October 16, 2015 [61 favorites]
It's so common between me and my wife at this point that the other night we went out to eat and I ordered the swart purderer fries and it took the look of pure horror on my wife's face to realize that I should clarify my order to the waiter.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 7:37 AM on October 16, 2015 [61 favorites]
I thought I'd seen all the good ones of these. Apparently I hadn't seen ANY of them.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 7:38 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Sing Or Swim at 7:38 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Mrs. Example and I are pretty much incapable of heading into downtown London without saying "ERMAHGERD IT'S THE SHERD" to each other.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 7:44 AM on October 16, 2015 [17 favorites]
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 7:44 AM on October 16, 2015 [17 favorites]
Goldenberger seems to have gotten through this better than Star Wars Kid did.
(Although, iirc, SWK is grown up now and working with some social media bullying types, so maybe he got through it okay, too.)
posted by notyou at 7:46 AM on October 16, 2015
(Although, iirc, SWK is grown up now and working with some social media bullying types, so maybe he got through it okay, too.)
posted by notyou at 7:46 AM on October 16, 2015
Our most common one is ERMAHGERD PERPERCURT when we talk to our chubby calico cat, Moxie Parker aka Poopercat.
posted by Kitteh at 7:47 AM on October 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Kitteh at 7:47 AM on October 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
Reading that she is now a nurse gives me hope for Internet Meme Memorial Hospital.
Nurse: Ehrmigerd! The pershent is ert of her kermer!
Dr Doge: Such drugs. Many healing.
posted by dr_dank at 7:49 AM on October 16, 2015 [88 favorites]
Nurse: Ehrmigerd! The pershent is ert of her kermer!
Dr Doge: Such drugs. Many healing.
posted by dr_dank at 7:49 AM on October 16, 2015 [88 favorites]
Paging Dr. Tinycat, Dr. Tinycat to the OR, stat.
posted by uncleozzy at 7:51 AM on October 16, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by uncleozzy at 7:51 AM on October 16, 2015 [11 favorites]
The one that never fails to crack me up is with a baby hippopotamus, or "berber herperpertermers". I don't know where you can go with it after that.
posted by LionIndex at 7:52 AM on October 16, 2015 [22 favorites]
posted by LionIndex at 7:52 AM on October 16, 2015 [22 favorites]
When my friends and I were trying to name our a cappella group, we seriously thought about calling ourselves "Irma and the Gerds." (We didn't, probably for the best.)
posted by ilana at 7:52 AM on October 16, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by ilana at 7:52 AM on October 16, 2015 [9 favorites]
I live a few blocks from Berks St. in Philly and every time I go by a street sign for it I give a silent "ermagerd, Berks St." in my head.
posted by zempf at 7:55 AM on October 16, 2015 [13 favorites]
posted by zempf at 7:55 AM on October 16, 2015 [13 favorites]
One of the referees at the Division 1 Roller Derby playoffs this year was ERMAHGERD, RERFERER!
posted by Lucinda at 7:58 AM on October 16, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by Lucinda at 7:58 AM on October 16, 2015 [8 favorites]
ERMAHGERD, ITS MERGIE GERLDENBERGAH!
posted by chavenet at 8:14 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by chavenet at 8:14 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Huh, fascinating. I've never knew the history of it, and I've only ever seen that one picture a few years ago with a different girl and "ERMAHGERD CHERNING TERTUM," which I thought was a play on a dumb voice that pretty much everyone did. We've been doing it since forever, I think starting with "I lerve you" in the early 90's probably. It evolved to "terlet", "terlet paper" etc. We still ask each other if we need a Terlenol™ when there's a headache.
The Target Lady was a similar thing, no? "Herliday Cherclates" and all that?
posted by chococat at 8:14 AM on October 16, 2015 [6 favorites]
The Target Lady was a similar thing, no? "Herliday Cherclates" and all that?
posted by chococat at 8:14 AM on October 16, 2015 [6 favorites]
And at least the versions of this meme I've seen never felt mean-spirited. Yeah, there's maybe somewhat of a mocking tone with the speech pattern, but they all seem to be about genuine excitement.
One of the things I like about the Ermahgerd meme (BERSERDS TERKING LERK THERS) is how it feels more like "laughing with" than "laughing at." Speech-impeding retainer? Ugly vest? Popular kids' book series? Unabashed dorky glee? That describes a pretty wide swath of nerdy kids who entered puberty in the 80s or 90s, and I think that familiarity and nostalgia is why Ermahgerd took off the way it did. When I see eleven-year-old Maggie, I see myself.
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:14 AM on October 16, 2015 [17 favorites]
One of the things I like about the Ermahgerd meme (BERSERDS TERKING LERK THERS) is how it feels more like "laughing with" than "laughing at." Speech-impeding retainer? Ugly vest? Popular kids' book series? Unabashed dorky glee? That describes a pretty wide swath of nerdy kids who entered puberty in the 80s or 90s, and I think that familiarity and nostalgia is why Ermahgerd took off the way it did. When I see eleven-year-old Maggie, I see myself.
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:14 AM on October 16, 2015 [17 favorites]
It's one of the few memes that really gets to me, so I'm glad to hear that the subject is doing well with all of it. It's also cool to hear that other kids were dressing up in goofy costumes and just being spazzy and funny and weird too.
posted by benito.strauss at 8:17 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by benito.strauss at 8:17 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
TERDEY, TERMERER, ERND IN ER HERT ERF HERTS, WER ER ERL DER GERSBERMPS GERL.
posted by Happy Dave at 8:17 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Happy Dave at 8:17 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Mr. Blizz and I do this, but we got it from here, an amazing book of stunts and pranks that you should all read and study.
posted by the_blizz at 8:23 AM on October 16, 2015
posted by the_blizz at 8:23 AM on October 16, 2015
Being enthusiastic is never cool, is the opposite of being cool. Enthusiasm is nerdy.
To be cool and also admit to being, at least occasionally, enthusiastic, one must resort to ironic distance.
posted by bonehead at 8:28 AM on October 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
To be cool and also admit to being, at least occasionally, enthusiastic, one must resort to ironic distance.
posted by bonehead at 8:28 AM on October 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
"Well I dreamed there was an island that rose up from the sea. And everybody on the island was somebody from TV. And there was a beautiful view, but nobody could see, 'cause everybody on the island was saying: Look at me! Look at me!" - Laurie Anderson
posted by Bob Regular at 8:47 AM on October 16, 2015
posted by Bob Regular at 8:47 AM on October 16, 2015
My quest in life is now to hear Ermahgerd-speak in Gilbert Gottfried's voice.
posted by delfin at 8:50 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by delfin at 8:50 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
ERLYER BERSER BERLUNG TER ERS. SERMBERDY SERT ERS ERP DER BERM.
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:00 AM on October 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:00 AM on October 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
“My eyes just get wide and I say, out loud, ‘This is so fucking weird.’ ”
Actual saying: "Thers is ser ferking werd."
posted by mikeand1 at 9:14 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Actual saying: "Thers is ser ferking werd."
posted by mikeand1 at 9:14 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
WHERN IN THE CURSE OF HURMERN ERVENERNTS IT BECERMES NERCESSERY FER WERN PERPLE TER DERSERLVE THE PERLERTICERL BERNDS WHERCH HERVE CONNERCTED THEM WERTH ANERTHER, ERND TO ERSSUME AMONG THE PERWERS ERF THE EARTH, THE SERPERATE AND ERQUAL STERTION TO WHERCH THE LERS OF NERTURE AND ERF NERTURE'S GHERD ERNTERTLE THEM, A DERCENT RESPERCT TO THE ERPERNIONS OF MERNKIND RERQUERS THAT THEY SHERLD DERCLERE THE CURSES WHERCH ERMPERL THEM TO THE SERPERERTION.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:21 AM on October 16, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:21 AM on October 16, 2015 [11 favorites]
I, too, am a frequent user/abuser of the "insert 'r' into every syllable" voice.
It ends up sounding a bit like Lumpy Space Princess.
posted by arcolz at 9:25 AM on October 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
It ends up sounding a bit like Lumpy Space Princess.
posted by arcolz at 9:25 AM on October 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
It had never occurred to me that she wasn't clowning in that picture. People really didn't realize that?
posted by ernielundquist at 9:44 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by ernielundquist at 9:44 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
This specific meme reminds me of one of Amy Poehler's characters.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:45 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:45 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
we seriously thought about calling ourselves "Irma and the Gerds."
SHE GERT ELERCTERC BERTS, ER MERHER SERT
YER KNER ER RERD IT IN ER MERGERZERRRRRRRRNNN
posted by Metroid Baby at 9:57 AM on October 16, 2015 [10 favorites]
SHE GERT ELERCTERC BERTS, ER MERHER SERT
YER KNER ER RERD IT IN ER MERGERZERRRRRRRRNNN
posted by Metroid Baby at 9:57 AM on October 16, 2015 [10 favorites]
RICK RICK RIIIIIIIIICK!
posted by a fiendish thingy at 9:58 AM on October 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by a fiendish thingy at 9:58 AM on October 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
people saying memes out loud remind of how all the kids at my high school used to quote SNL at each other, incessantly, with worsening levels of impersonation
posted by runt at 10:05 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by runt at 10:05 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
I first encountered this meme from a spin-off image of an old lady answering a phone with "HELLO, THIS IS ERMA GERD" and I truly had no idea what
posted by Spatch at 10:16 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Spatch at 10:16 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
It had never occurred to me that she wasn't clowning in that picture. People really didn't realize that?
If you saw some of my completely earnest photos, you'd understand. :-|
posted by imnotasquirrel at 10:17 AM on October 16, 2015 [12 favorites]
If you saw some of my completely earnest photos, you'd understand. :-|
posted by imnotasquirrel at 10:17 AM on October 16, 2015 [12 favorites]
Ermahgerd girl led to one of the most ridiculous, yet hilarious things on the Internet. I lose it every time I read these. 95% of the time, I'm crying by the time I get to Spegy N Merbls.
posted by jenny76 at 10:20 AM on October 16, 2015 [21 favorites]
posted by jenny76 at 10:20 AM on October 16, 2015 [21 favorites]
Okay "Mershed Perderder" is pretty damn funny.
but this though, FTA:
“The level of excitement in her face, the braces, and the outfit just screamed awkward tween years,” said Reddit user plantlife, over e-mail. (He declined to have his real name mentioned in this story.)
So the dude who started the meme wants anonymity while the girl in the photo gets outed and paparazzi'ed in a bikini? Yeah. That's way uncool.
posted by Annika Cicada at 10:26 AM on October 16, 2015 [33 favorites]
but this though, FTA:
“The level of excitement in her face, the braces, and the outfit just screamed awkward tween years,” said Reddit user plantlife, over e-mail. (He declined to have his real name mentioned in this story.)
So the dude who started the meme wants anonymity while the girl in the photo gets outed and paparazzi'ed in a bikini? Yeah. That's way uncool.
posted by Annika Cicada at 10:26 AM on October 16, 2015 [33 favorites]
95% of the time, I'm crying by the time I get to Spegy N Merbls.
Spogooter
ERMAHGERD!
posted by briank at 10:30 AM on October 16, 2015
Spogooter
ERMAHGERD!
posted by briank at 10:30 AM on October 16, 2015
Surely I'm not the only one that reads ermahgerds in the voice of the Swedish Chef.
posted by oddman at 10:54 AM on October 16, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by oddman at 10:54 AM on October 16, 2015 [6 favorites]
every time I go by a street sign for it I give a silent "ermagerd, Berks St." in my head
I take the bus in London a lot, and two of the stops I go by really often are Theodore Road and Druid Street. I can never, ever pass by either of them without thinking "Ted 'Theodore' Road" and "Druid Street...no one knows where it was, or where it was going...".
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:11 AM on October 16, 2015 [6 favorites]
I take the bus in London a lot, and two of the stops I go by really often are Theodore Road and Druid Street. I can never, ever pass by either of them without thinking "Ted 'Theodore' Road" and "Druid Street...no one knows where it was, or where it was going...".
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:11 AM on October 16, 2015 [6 favorites]
Spatch: I first encountered this meme from a spin-off image of an old lady answering a phone with "HELLO, THIS IS ERMA GERD" and I truly had no idea what
This is the only party who could be on the other end of the call.
posted by dr_dank at 11:12 AM on October 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
This is the only party who could be on the other end of the call.
posted by dr_dank at 11:12 AM on October 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
95% of the time, I'm crying by the time I get to Spegy N Merbls.
Here's another.
posted by rifflesby at 1:34 PM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Here's another.
posted by rifflesby at 1:34 PM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
It took me very long to figure out what 'ermahgerd' was supposed to be derived from. I had no idea how to translate it back into words.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:11 PM on October 16, 2015
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:11 PM on October 16, 2015
I named one of my rats Irma Gerd for love of this meme. Here is a pic.
posted by acsloane at 2:38 PM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by acsloane at 2:38 PM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
95% of the time, I'm crying by the time I get to Spegy N Merbls.
I tried to read this in a library; I had to stop.
I tried to show it to my husband in a bar; I had to stop; the waiter saw me hissing, "It's just letters on pictures of food WHAT WOULD MARCUS AURELIUS SAY I must control myself" as I dabbed my eyes with a napkin; I had to stop.
posted by Hypatia at 6:02 PM on October 16, 2015 [17 favorites]
I tried to read this in a library; I had to stop.
I tried to show it to my husband in a bar; I had to stop; the waiter saw me hissing, "It's just letters on pictures of food WHAT WOULD MARCUS AURELIUS SAY I must control myself" as I dabbed my eyes with a napkin; I had to stop.
posted by Hypatia at 6:02 PM on October 16, 2015 [17 favorites]
I'm actually disappointed that the dorkiness and glee were deliberately staged for the original photo. What I've always liked about the meme is what others here have cited, that it is endearingly and unselfconsciously enthused about something very dorky, that that enthusiasm is itself fundamental to dorkiness, and that I saw myself in the grinning weird-hair doofus.
To know that the photo is not, in fact, without self-consciousness, that it was trying to deliberately be silly, actually kind of ruins the joy.
posted by Scattercat at 7:14 PM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
To know that the photo is not, in fact, without self-consciousness, that it was trying to deliberately be silly, actually kind of ruins the joy.
posted by Scattercat at 7:14 PM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
ERMAHGERD HYPATIA I AM IN THE QUIET CAR AND I HAD TO STOP
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
posted by Space Kitty at 7:19 PM on October 16, 2015
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
posted by Space Kitty at 7:19 PM on October 16, 2015
The problem with becoming a meme, especially photos of living persons, is that the subject of the photo doesn't really get to decide what it's about. Boston Blake doesn't get to not be Scumbag Steve anymore. Just as Goldenberger doesn't get to not be Berks. At a certain point, the shared meaning of the meme becomes more important than whatever the truth is behind the photo.
Goldenberger doesn't have to let it bother her though. As Blake wrote, “It has as much to do with Boston Blake as a person as the Yao Ming and NPH rage faces have to do with Yao Ming and NPH.”
posted by ob1quixote at 1:59 AM on October 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
Goldenberger doesn't have to let it bother her though. As Blake wrote, “It has as much to do with Boston Blake as a person as the Yao Ming and NPH rage faces have to do with Yao Ming and NPH.”
posted by ob1quixote at 1:59 AM on October 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's kind of amazing how much redundancy is in language, that we can get rid of every vowel sound but one and still keep the same level of meaning. I wonder how this would work in French or Russian or whatever.
posted by rollick at 6:47 AM on October 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by rollick at 6:47 AM on October 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Mern dyer, lyervres
posted by Gordafarin at 9:52 AM on October 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Gordafarin at 9:52 AM on October 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
The problem with becoming a meme, especially photos of living persons, is that the subject of the photo doesn't really get to decide what it's about.
I was about to suggest a rare counterexample
http://jezebel.com/5694885/privilege+denying-dude-has-disappeared-from-the-internet
http://jezebel.com/5698261/meet-your-new-privilege-denying-dude
but I probably conflated the details. It's not exactly that people realized the subject was uncomfortable with it. It's more that a stock photo company sent Tumlbr a takedown notice.
posted by sourcejedi at 12:52 PM on October 18, 2015
I was about to suggest a rare counterexample
http://jezebel.com/5694885/privilege+denying-dude-has-disappeared-from-the-internet
http://jezebel.com/5698261/meet-your-new-privilege-denying-dude
but I probably conflated the details. It's not exactly that people realized the subject was uncomfortable with it. It's more that a stock photo company sent Tumlbr a takedown notice.
posted by sourcejedi at 12:52 PM on October 18, 2015
« Older Watch the Skies! | The Library of Scott Alexandria Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Kitteh at 7:18 AM on October 16, 2015