"Feels Good Man" - the documentary about Pepe the Frog - is amazing

I just finished watching a digital screening of Feels Good Man (trailer here), a documentary tracing the trajectory of Pepe the Frog, a character created by artist Matt Furie in his comic series "Boys Club".

Pepe from the comics is a goofy, partying slacker. A single panel from an issue of "Boys Club" where Pepe says, "Feels good man" became a very popular meme on 4chan, and eventually was co-opted by racists online and the alt-right to become a symbol of hatred. The film does an excellent job explaining the very odd and off-putting culture of 4chan and details the evolution of the meme from more-or-less innocent to terrible.

Matt Furie is an instantly likable, kind and soft-spoken artist. It was heartbreaking and confusing for him to see his beloved character be taken from his control and turned into an icon of hate. The film follows his struggle to reclaim his character.

I can't recommend this movie enough. It's at times funny, at times shocking, and ultimately inspiring and uplifting. It goes to some really crazy, unexpected places.

Submitted August 30, 2020 at 10:07AM by pizza_dreamer https://ift.tt/3hFjDdu