Overlord meme
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other senses of the word "overlord", see overlord (disambiguation).
The overlord meme is a cliché using the following template:
- I, for one, welcome our new X overlords.
The following variation is also popular:
- I, for one, welcome our new X masters.
Here X describes (often in a humorous or overgeneralized fashion) some (often corporate or government) entity that is making a power grab.
It is used to express mock submission, usually for the purpose of humor, and became popular in the early 21st century, on Internet forums such as Slashdot.
[edit] Origin
The quote originated with the 1994 episode of The Simpsons (fifth season), "Deep Space Homer", when news announcer Kent Brockman believes the Earth to be under invasion by giant space ants. Fearing for his life, he announces his willingness to collaborate with the insectoid invaders:
- One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. And I for one welcome our new insect overlords. I'd like to remind them that as a trusted TV personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves.
Although the low-budget 1977 science fiction horror film Empire of the Ants (starring Joan Collins) is allegedly the origin of the phrase, this line is not actually said anywhere in the film.
