Explain Like I'm 35: What is Alienposting? (May 7, 2023)

Look, we all like things that are cute, and for its many faults, the internet is pretty good at disseminating content that is cute. Adorable pets and wholesome moments aren't usually hard to find, and that's a good thing!

However, it has to be said that these things can get repetitive after a while. When you've just seen your thousandth, standard fluffy cat picture, it doesn't always hit the same as it did back in the day when it was a novelty. It leaves us with a few options: persist as normal, stop with the cuteness (unthinkable), or get really weird with it. Obviously the last idea is the most interesting one.

Alienposting is exactly what the name implies: a genre of sh*tpost with an extraterrestrial flavor. Its main figureheads are kittens and puppies reimagined as alien beings. It comes complete with their own nonsensical language that focuses a lot on the 'gn' phonic, and kind of looks like written Simlish. Baby animals and the little green men that are the most popular depiction of our cosmic neighbors might not be the most obvious combination, but that's exactly the point. This isn't a trend that you need to understand to enjoy, because you literally can't. We are from the planet Earth after all.

While the more wholesome brand on alienposting is probably the most popular, it has also been extended to other kinds of meme. Semi-ironic Gen Z poster boy Patrick Bateman has had the extraterrestrial treatment, for example. It's kind of like if we were looking at certain parts of our meme culture through the eyes of someone from another galaxy, but through our stereotypes about aliens. Trippy. It's not like we needed a reminder of how weird our online communication practices are, but we'll allow it when it's this entertaining.

Posted by Ally Perry