The latest Twitter meme “we used to be a proper country” pokes fun of conservative language and ideals while also fulfilling our need for nostalgia.
“We used to be a proper country” repurposes typical conservative language to reminisce about iconic pop culture moments and collective memories such as the combination Pizza Hut Taco Bell and the original Four Loko recipe. This type of rhetoric is often used in reference to more heteronormative and patriotic moments in American history by conservative media or politicians.
Think President Trump’s “Make America Great Again.” The phrase sounds like something a right-wing commentator would say in response to Harry Styles wearing a dress or implementation of gender neutral bathrooms. By memeing the phrase, Twitter users are showing how ridiculous that type of argument is at its core. The phrase is also allowing Twitter to do one of the internet’s favorite pastimes: get nostalgic about all the best and wackiest moments from the past.
The meme is simple, the words “we used to be a proper country” followed by a photo or series of photos that encapsulates some memorable era.
So, what do you think of when you hear “we used to be a proper country?” Is it 2014 Tumblr or Disney Channel’s peak? Chances are it’s been memed.
Here are a few of our favorites.
