About this video

• Video Title: What The Internet Did To Garfield
• Channel: Super Eyepatch Wolf
• Speakers: Super Eyepatch Wolf
• Duration: 01:19:29

Overview

This video explores the evolution of Garfield from a simple comic strip character into a complex internet phenomenon. It delves into how the internet has transformed Garfield through memes, fan art, and reinterpretations, uncovering a darker, more profound narrative within the seemingly innocuous comic. The video examines the impact of Garfield on internet culture, its creator's intent, and the psychological depth found in its online deconstructions.

Key takeaways

• Garfield's Enduring Appeal: Despite claims of being unfunny, Garfield's enduring popularity stems from his relatable imperfections and aspirational self-acceptance, allowing audiences to see themselves in him.
• The Internet's Reinterpretation: The internet has radically transformed Garfield through memes and fan art, highlighting the malleability of his design and the comic's simple structure, leading to bizarre and often disturbing creations.
• Lasagna Cat and the Uncanny: The "Lasagna Cat" series from 2008 is presented as an early example of internet subversion, using Garfield comics as a base for increasingly strange and unsettling content, including a peculiar obsession with creator Jim Davis.
• John Arbuckle's Hidden Depth: Research into Garfield comics reveals that jokes centering on John Arbuckle's pathetic nature are the most common, suggesting a darker underlying theme of his suffering and inadequacy, which is further explored in fan-made works like "Garfield Minus Garfield."
• The "I'm Sorry John" Phenomenon: The subreddit r/imsorryjohn showcases a significant shift in Garfield's internet persona, transforming him into a cosmic, horrifying entity that torments John Arbuckle, reflecting themes of existential dread and psychological horror.
• Garfield as a Cultural Force: The video illustrates Garfield's pervasive presence through merchandise and media, suggesting he has become a cultural entity that transcends his original creator and the initial comic strip.

The video identifies three main categories of "I'm Sorry John" horror:

1. Physical Garfield Horror: This involves depictions of Garfield as a grotesque, monstrous, or impossibly large creature, often evoking the feeling of facing insurmountable odds, similar to boss battles in FromSoftware games.
2. Psychological Garfield Horror: This focuses on the insidious damage Garfield inflicts on John's mental state, manifesting as a malicious presence, a manifestation of internal struggles like depression or addiction, or trapping John in unending psychological torment.
3. Cosmic/Eldritch Garfield Horror: This elevates Garfield to a god-like, incomprehensible being of immense power and scale, challenging humanity's place in the universe and reflecting Lovecraftian themes.

The "Lasagna Cat" YouTube channel contributed to the internet's reinterpretation of Garfield by:

• Creating surreal and unsettling content: The channel took original Garfield comics and presented them through live-action recreations, followed by distorted and often bizarre re-edits of that footage.
• Pioneering early internet humor: This happened in 2008, before the widespread understanding of "memes," showcasing a nascent form of internet subversion and absurdity.
• Developing a fixation on the creator: The videos featured strange tributes to Jim Davis, highlighting an unusual obsession with the creator within the Garfield fandom that was new at the time.
• Setting a precedent for dark reinterpretations: While not overtly horrifying initially, the content demonstrated a willingness to contort Garfield's familiar world into something uncanny and slightly menacing, paving the way for later, darker fan works.

According to the video's analysis, the Garfield comic strip features several types of jokes, including:

• Humor derived from Garfield's laziness and gluttony.
• Absurdist humor.
• Relatable humor.
• Jokes based on Garfield doing things a cat would typically do.
• Jokes based on Garfield doing things a cat would not typically do.
• Humor derived from Garfield's dislike of Mondays.
• Jokes related to Garfield's girlfriend, Arlene.
• Jokes about Irma, the local cafe owner, and her business.
• Humor stemming from Garfield's hatred of Odie.
• Jokes about Garfield's physical interactions with Odie.
• Jokes where John Arbuckle is portrayed as pathetic.
• Jokes centered around Garfield's torment of John.