copypasta

People have been talking a lot about "emotional labor" lately, and most people have the concept wrong. Emotional labor actually refers to how we manage our emotions in the context of work - often adjusting how we feel and express our feelings to please a customer or an employer. In contrast, as people become more aware of the time and energy they put into taking care of the emotions of others, they use "emotional labor" to describe that very "chore." 

A new Twitter meme has definitely made us think about this misused term - and for good reason. Earlier this week, Melissa A. Fabello tweeted a bout a text she received from a friend asking if Fabello had the emotional capacity to entertain some venting. After expressing gratitude that her friend had thought to ask (and that she absolutely had the capacity) she offered up a text template for when you need to tell a person that you can't help them through their moment.

"Hey! I'm so glad you reached out. I'm actually at capacity / helping someone else who's in crisis / dealing with some personal stuff right now, and I don't think I can hold appropriate space for you. Could we connect [later date or time] instead / Do you have someone else you could reach out to?"

The tweet quickly went viral, with many users criticizing the tweet for its cold, almost businesslike tone. And once something goes viral on Twitter, it's safe to assume it will become a meme. This has definitely been the case with this template. People mocked it heavily on Twitter, sharing their own versions of the text. It's also spread around Instagram and Reddit in image macro form. We're enjoying the meme, but there's nothing funny about treating your friendships in a transactional matter. Maybe this text will help people realize they should open their hearts instead of closing them. 

Twitter certainly had a lot to say about the series finale of Game Of Thrones - but there's one tweet that seems to have made a huge impression on the social media site. Jonathan Hill of Santa Clarita tweeted a video of Drogon behind Daenerys making it appear that she has the wings of a dragon. The text reads: "This shot is brilliant and should be shown in any film study class #GameofThrones." Hill's tweet was immediately mocked by film nerds, and it ended up morphing into a very entertaining copypasta. Twitter users began subbing the shot of Daenerys Targaryen with shots from cult classics and arguably inane works of film. It's an incredibly versatile meme, and a whole lot of fun.

If you're looking for stupid internet trends, you've come to the right place! After The New York Times published a recipe for "parsleyed noodles," Twitter user Ariel Dumas noticed, and subsequently tweeted, that people were posting ridiculous comments making fun of and meme-ing the slightly pretentious way the recipe was worded. 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stoked our President's ire on Sunday after warning our country not to "play with the lion's tail"or we would regret it. Rouhani added that "Peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars." These threatening words did not sit well with President Trump, who took to Twitter with the following impassioned response: 

"To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!"

The tweet's aggressive style, while possibly warranted after Rouhani's foreboding speech, was eaten up by Twitter personalities and quickly became a Twitter meme. It's proven to be the perfect vehicle for popular copypastas, such as Rick Rolls and the famous Liam Neeson Taken speech. World War III may be on the horizon, but at least we've got something to laugh about. Right? Right guys??

Star Wars prequel memes have been popular since as early as 2013, but this year there was one that really stood out from the rest. In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Chancellor Palpatine tells Anakin a (long) story about a Dark Lord of the Sith, with the intent of pushing him closer to the dark side. The story is known as "The Tragedy of Darth Plageuis The Wise." 

As a meme, the tale is used as a copypasta. While unnecessary dialogue is removed in this context, the story is still pretty wordy. Memers becan incorporating them into memes everywhere from 4chan to Twitter. We've included our favorites - and the full copypasta in case you want to have some Darth Plagueis fun of your own.

"Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis The Wise? I thought not. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create life… He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying. The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. He became so powerful… the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Ironic. He could save others from death, but not himself."