Serious question, what's the deal with that 'this is fine' dog meme

Okay so I was grading papers last night and one of my 7th graders had this meme on their phone - the dog sitting in a burning room saying 'this is fine.' I get it's supposed to be ironic but I couldn't figure out if it's about being in denial or just accepting things are terrible. The kid said it's 'about life falling apart but you pretend it's okay' but then another kid argued it's about climate change specifically. I looked it up and apparently it started as a webcomic from 2013 where the dog literally just sits there while everything burns. Now I see it everywhere from group chat reactions to actual news articles. Is there a right way to use this thing or is it one of those memes where everybody just does whatever they want? My students keep using it and I need to know if I'm missing some deeper meaning before I accidentally use it wrong.

2 comments

2 Comments

adamgreen29d ago

Oh man, I've used that meme wrong so many times I should just get a refund on my internet access lol. I think your student who said it's about life falling apart but you pretend it's okay is probably closest to the mark, but honestly people slap it on anything now. I've sent it in my group chat when my car broke down, and my friend sent it back when her dog ate her shoes, we're both totally using it wrong but who cares. The climate change connection is real since the original comic had the dog ignoring a literal burning building, but now it's more of a universal "everything is on fire but I'm just gonna sit here" vibe. My rule of thumb is if you feel like you're in a situation where you should panic but you're just too tired or in denial, the meme fits. Just don't overthink it or you'll end up like the dog actually lol.

hall.nina29d ago

Exactly what my friend said when her fridge died mid-party.