In 2005, the Simpsons episode “Pranksta Rap” gave us a rapper wearing a gold chain that spelled out “Thursday the 20th.” In 2014, a screenshot of the character became a perennial meme, popping up whenever it is Thursday the 20th. Today is that day, my friends. Today is Thursday the 20th.
In the context of the episode, Lisa and Principal Skinner used footage of this chain (and another rapper’s clock) to prove that Bart had gone to a hip hop show and lied about it. In the context of the internet, the meme doesn’t have any special meaning beyond marking the day.
The tradition apparently started on Reddit’s Simpsons forum in 2014, but it has kept going on every Thursday the 20th since then. This combination of day and date only happens once or twice a year, so today is only the fifth time people have had a chance to break out the image since the meme began.
Thursday the 20th last occurred in April of this year, providing a rare combination of Simpsons celebration and national marijuana holiday. To celebrate Thursday the 4/20th, redditor aknboy2df gave the rapper red eyes. “I’ve waited a very long time to post this juvenile image,” he wrote.
The meme also seems to have been the first in a trend of marking obscure Simpsons dates. Earlier this week, fans celebrated the 22nd anniversary of the day Homer was supposed to paint the garage:
There are certainly other times The Simpsons has referred to specific dates, and because it’s a such a reference-rich show, obsessive fans will certainly find the next meme soon. But Thursday the 20th won’t come again until September 2018, so get the meme out of your system now. Or just Photoshop the bling to a different date.
H/T @bafeldman
More The Simpsons memes:
- The story behind the ultimate Homer Simpson meme
- ‘I’m in Danger’: The evolution of a one-liner into a viral meme
- Bart hitting Homer with a chair is the latest ‘Simpsons’ meme to take over the internet
- It’s Thursday the 20th, so be prepared to post this ‘Simpsons’ meme
