If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet, you’ve probably seen some interactions that simply made no sense. It may have been a copypasta! Let’s look at some definitions and examples of copypasta, then we’ll talk about copypasta’s weird little sister: creepypasta.
What is a copypasta?
"Copypasta" is a term derived from the words "copy" and "paste." It generally refers to a block of text that has been copied and pasted across the internet. Copypasta are contextually nonsense, and they can take various forms. They're basically inside jokes that most people never know the origin of.
Copypasta are usually created accidentally, then spread rapidly in online communities. Some stay in their original birthplace, such as Twitter, Reddit, or the comments of a certain creator. There are a few copypasta that have become widely famous and reached virality across the internet.
They’re usually used as jokes, but there are also used for things like expressing frustration or poking fun at other users.
How is copypasta used?
Copypasta has many uses, such as humor, emoting, critique, bullying, community pruning, and generating a sense of camaraderie. Keep reading for examples!
Examples of famous copypastas
Copypastas can cover a wide variety of "topics" and serve numerous purposes.
Emote copypasta
Sometimes a copypasta is something quite simple, like a figure created of symbols. Since these symbols are difficult to recreate on your own, they become copypasta. Like our boy Lenny:
There are many such expression-based copypasta. Here’s a brief list:
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(ง ◉ _ ◉)ง
SUS ඞ
(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻
╭∩╮( •̀_•́ )╭∩╮
Spam copypasta
Many copypasta are solely used for trolling. These can be bulky, irritating blocks of text sent to a user through various means, like a DM, comment, or tagged post. One example is the entire Bee Movie script. I’m so serious. This one has been thriving for years, and users constantly amp up the creativity of delivery.
Friendly copypasta
Copypasta is most often in the spirit of community and friendship, believe it or not! While meme-y and goofy, there’s often a sense of community at the heart of copypasta. One famous example is the Spanksgiving message (censored):
Happy 🎩 SPANKSGIVING 👄 🌽 you HUNGRY H*ES 😩 💦 It looks like 👏🏼 the 🍗TURKEY 🍗 isn't the ONLY thing getting 😧STUFFED 👀 tonight 😝 So prepare 💋 👉🏼your p***ies 😳for some sweet potato 👅 D**K 🍆 and some C*Mkin 🎃 pie cause it is time to 😘GOBBLE GOBBLE 🤤up that slow roasted 🐓C*CK 🐓 and swallow the 😜CRANBERRY SAUCE 🍒 if you know what I mean 😏 NOW👇🏼give that turkey 🦃some good 👍🏼'ole jerky ✊🏼💦 and get ready to give OR receive 😉🙏🏼 thanks ‼️ Send this to 7️⃣ of your best 💁🏼SK@NKS 👯and let them know how ♥️ THANKFUL🍁you are this H0Evember 😘🍆 🔗
If you’re thinking, wow that’s stupid—yes, yes it is. Until the year you don’t receive the Spanksgiving copypasta, then you question every friendship you’ve ever had.
Prank copypasta
Some copypasta are used solely for pranking people, which is the purest form when done correctly. One of the most famous and ancient internet prank traditions is rickrolling. If you somehow aren't aware, rickrolling is the act of presenting a link as if it is something relevant and helpful to the current conversation, or perhaps a shocking headline to a fake news article. The link actually takes you to the music video for Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley. This could be considered a form of copypasta. More on pranks $here$.
Bullying copypasta
As is true with anything the internet gets its hands on, copypasta is often used as a rhetorical weapon. While copypasta might be purely malicious spam, it often takes the form of light teasing, such as this famous Twitter copypasta:
Excuse me ma’am, not to be disrespectful or rude but could you please take post down. That is my sister who was killed by a metra train. And it this post is very disrespectful. Idk who you are or if you even know her but I need you to take this down please.
This is the (explicit) $source$. This copypasta can be found on any platform under images of virtually any woman, but many users leave the comment under posts they find to be phony or spreading misinformation. This deflates the seriousness of the post for other users who skim the comments.
Copypasta vs Creepypasta
"Creepypasta" is a term used to describe a genre of internet horror stories or images that are circulated and shared widely across online platforms. The term is a blend of "creepy" and "copypasta" (copy and paste), reflecting the way these stories are often copied and pasted across the internet whilst also being creepy.
Creepypastas are typically short horror stories or urban legends that are designed to evoke feelings of fear, unease, or suspense. They often feature paranormal or supernatural elements, mysterious occurrences, or unsettling creatures. Creepypastas can take various forms, including written stories, images, videos, games, challenges, and audio recordings.
An example of a game/challenge creepypasta is the $One-Man Hide and Seek$ game, where players perform an elaborate ritual to play a game with a homicidal doll (benefit unclear).
Some of the most well-known creepypastas include stories like Slender Man, Jeff the Killer, Elevator To Nowhere, and The Russian Sleep Experiment. These stories can become internet memes and build their own communities around fanfiction, art, roleplays, and adaptations of the story.
Sometimes this goes too far, like the $stabbing incident$ that made Slender Man even more famous. Two girls attacked their friend in hopes of receiving an invite to "Slender Mansion". Some commentary there about children and internet usage, certainly.
Photo: HBO
But overall, creepypastas are a fun, community-building entertainment format. They take on lives of their own through many iterations, contributing to internet folklore and the creation of modern digital urban legends.
Copypastas of every sort are plentiful, and their source of origin is often unknown. If you see a strange comment repeated multiple times under a post, it’s likely a copypasta. Sometimes they’re references, inside jokes, or absolute and complete nonsense.
