Since he was tragically killed in May, Harambe has transcended his role as the random zoo gorilla who inadvertently became a babysitter. In his afterlife, he has become the king of the internet jungle but it might be time to kill the majestic beast once again.
Harambe is the meme of summer 2016 but the gorilla's death was ridiculously more complicated under the surface. The death and subsequent digital rebirth of the gorilla shows the power of the internet, and the idea that a meme can truly empower a generation of slacktivists to stand up for something (they're not actually), even if standing up means doing so with their dicks out.
Maybe it's time we went dicks down for Harambe. The Cincinnati Zoo has requested people stop posting the meme all over the internet. They claim the efforts to immortalize the undeniably majestic and beautiful Gorilla are slowing down the healing process in the zoo.
Look, we're all for renaming Cincinnati to Harambe City. We're also down to have Harambe on the $50 bill (just 90,000 more signatures to go, folks). What happened to Harambe was surely tragic, but it's time we let go. Harambe (the meme) needs to die.
The meme is insensitive, racist, and devalues the loss of human life. Gorilla life is important, but activism should push past the reductive world of becoming a meme. For the sake of what's good in the world, let's focus on real tragedies that actually need our attention. Let's let the Gorilla go.
Micheal McCrudden breaks down all things Harambe, in this video entry from his "After They Were Dead" series. For more from McCrudden subscribe to his YouTube channel.