Community:Ugandan Knuckles: Difference between revisions

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===Popularization of the "Ugandan Knuckles" meme===
===Popularization of the "Ugandan Knuckles" meme===
The meme for Ugandan Knuckles was popularized by a series of videos posted to YouTube, in January of 2018. Starting on January 3, 2018, a video uploaded by VRChat user ''Jameskii'' titled "Uganda Knuckles (VRChat)"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGTqmgFYYNI Uganda Knuckles (VRChat)] on YouTube by Jameskii, on January 3, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024</ref>, and later, a video titled "VRChat in a nutshell 3"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr2WYEmPlUA VRChat in a nutshell 3] on YouTube by Jameskii, on January 9, 2018</ref> on January 9, 2018. On January 5, 2018, YouTuber ''Berd'', would publish a video titled "the ugandan warrior experience"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbjOKpUinvY the ugandan warrior experience] on YouTube by Berd, on January 5, 2018.</ref>. Another notable video comes from "UGANDA KNUCKLES"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKxTTnvVal8 UGANDA KNUCKLES] on YouTube by Pyrocynical, on January 13, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024.</ref> uploaded by ''Pyrocynical'' on January 14, 2018.
The meme for Ugandan Knuckles was popularized by a series of videos posted to YouTube, in January of 2018. Starting on January 3, 2018, a video uploaded by VRChat user ''Jameskii'' titled "Uganda Knuckles (VRChat)"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGTqmgFYYNI Uganda Knuckles (VRChat)] on YouTube by Jameskii, on January 3, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024</ref>, and later, a video titled "VRChat in a nutshell 3"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr2WYEmPlUA VRChat in a nutshell 3] on YouTube by Jameskii, on January 9, 2018</ref> on January 9, 2018. On January 5, 2018, YouTuber ''Berd'', would publish a video titled "the ugandan warrior experience"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbjOKpUinvY the ugandan warrior experience] on YouTube by Berd, on January 5, 2018.</ref>. Another notable video comes from "UGANDA KNUCKLES"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKxTTnvVal8 UGANDA KNUCKLES] on YouTube by Pyrocynical, on January 13, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024.</ref> uploaded by ''Pyrocynical'' on January 14, 2018. Videos centered around the meme were also uploaded by channels, such as ''REACT'', and ''Behind The Meme.''
 
=== VRChat's population boom ===
Due to the popularity of Ugandan Knuckles and its correlation to VRChat, this led to a population boom of VRChat users in early 2018. VRChat has acknowledged<ref>[https://x.com/VRChat/status/949453320200052737 We have just passed 10,000 concurrent users in VRChat!!!], posted by VRChat on X.com on January 5, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024.</ref> the population spike of 12,000 concurrent users<ref>[https://x.com/VRChat/status/949453320200052737 A few hours later and we're at 12,000] posted on X.com, by VRChat on January 5, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024.</ref>, simultaneously with server issues, however, VRChat's Status account reported server instabilities in January of 2018 numerous times<ref>VRChat Status posts on X.com; retrieved on September 26, 2024.
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/949028642109075456 Post on January 4, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat/status/949453320200052737 Post on January 5, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/949811685136662529 Post on January 6, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/950036450342526978 Post on January 7, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/950072541208555520 Post on January 7, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/950778092510961664 Post on January 9, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/950948447720525825 Post on January 9, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/951975127528493058 Post on January 12, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/952266492455849987 Post on January 13, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/952618057167523840 Post on January 14, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/953686386527358976 Post on January 17, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/953901187161624576 Post on January 18, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/955176936619302912 Post on January 21, 2018]
* [https://x.com/VRChat_Status/status/957748731226574849 Post on January 28, 2018]</ref>.
A few days later, on January 9th, VRChat published an "open letter"<ref>[https://medium.com/@vrchat/an-open-letter-to-our-community-1b7aa5d9026f An open letter to our community] published on Medium, by VRChat, on January 9, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024.</ref> to the community regarding the recent population boom, and thanking VRChat streamers via Medium, as well as re-sharing<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10156006076752418 Let us show you the way... to make the world a better place.] posted on Facebook, by Sonic the Hedgehog (corporate account) on January 11, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024.</ref> a Ugandan Knuckles meme on Facebook.





Revision as of 23:09, 26 September 2024

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Ugandan Knuckles are a series of avatars, depicting a cartoonishly exaggerated parody of Knuckles the Echidna, and often appear as a short, red creature with beady eyes.

Origin

Who is Knuckles?

Ugandan Knuckles is a parody of the character, Knuckles the Echidna, from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, developed by SEGA Corporation. Knuckles debuted in 1994, in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, as a secondary antagonist, working under the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Eggman).

Gregzilla's original parody

The original parody design for Knuckles, originates from a fan review of Sonic Lost World, published on YouTube by Gregzilla on February 20, 2017, in the video titled "KINDA REVIEWS // Sonic Lost World"[1]. At the time, this rendition was not yet referred to as 'Ugandan' Knuckles.

Further parodies of Knuckles

Further parodies of Gregzilla's rendition of Knuckles would also spawn videos of Knuckles singing[2][3]. On September 16, 2017, DeviantArt user tidiestflyer would upload[4] a downloadable model iteration of Gregzilla's Knuckles. This model would be uploaded to VRChat, and used by trolls.

The term "Ugandan Knuckles" is coined

The term "Ugandan Knuckles" referring to the avatar, would be coined after a video uploaded on December 27, 2017 by SoyerCake titled "Uganda Knuckles"[5].

Popularization of the "Ugandan Knuckles" meme

The meme for Ugandan Knuckles was popularized by a series of videos posted to YouTube, in January of 2018. Starting on January 3, 2018, a video uploaded by VRChat user Jameskii titled "Uganda Knuckles (VRChat)"[6], and later, a video titled "VRChat in a nutshell 3"[7] on January 9, 2018. On January 5, 2018, YouTuber Berd, would publish a video titled "the ugandan warrior experience"[8]. Another notable video comes from "UGANDA KNUCKLES"[9] uploaded by Pyrocynical on January 14, 2018. Videos centered around the meme were also uploaded by channels, such as REACT, and Behind The Meme.

VRChat's population boom

Due to the popularity of Ugandan Knuckles and its correlation to VRChat, this led to a population boom of VRChat users in early 2018. VRChat has acknowledged[10] the population spike of 12,000 concurrent users[11], simultaneously with server issues, however, VRChat's Status account reported server instabilities in January of 2018 numerous times[12]. A few days later, on January 9th, VRChat published an "open letter"[13] to the community regarding the recent population boom, and thanking VRChat streamers via Medium, as well as re-sharing[14] a Ugandan Knuckles meme on Facebook.


Derivative works

References

  1. KINDA REVIEW // Sonic Lost World on YouTube by Gregzilla, on February 20, 2017; retrieved September 26, 2024.
  2. knuckles sings on YouTube by Gregzilla, on March 6, 2017; retrieved September 26, 2024.
  3. Knuckles sings suicide is painless on YouTube by ItsUmU (credited to "Hubert c."), on September 27, 2017; retrieved September 26, 2024.
  4. The Knuckles meme as a 3d model published to DeviantArt by tidiestflyer, on September 16, 2017; retrieved September 26, 2024.
  5. Uganda Knuckles on YouTube by SoyerCake, on December 27, 2017; retrieved September 26, 2024.
  6. Uganda Knuckles (VRChat) on YouTube by Jameskii, on January 3, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024
  7. VRChat in a nutshell 3 on YouTube by Jameskii, on January 9, 2018
  8. the ugandan warrior experience on YouTube by Berd, on January 5, 2018.
  9. UGANDA KNUCKLES on YouTube by Pyrocynical, on January 13, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024.
  10. We have just passed 10,000 concurrent users in VRChat!!!, posted by VRChat on X.com on January 5, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024.
  11. A few hours later and we're at 12,000 posted on X.com, by VRChat on January 5, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024.
  12. VRChat Status posts on X.com; retrieved on September 26, 2024.
  13. An open letter to our community published on Medium, by VRChat, on January 9, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024.
  14. Let us show you the way... to make the world a better place. posted on Facebook, by Sonic the Hedgehog (corporate account) on January 11, 2018; retrieved September 26, 2024.