Harambe became 2016’s most memorialized gorilla when Cincinnati Zoo shot 17-year-old silverback after child fell into enclosure, sparking debate about zoo safety before internet transformed tragedy into absurdist meme movement with “Dicks Out for Harambe.”

The Incident

May 28, 2016: 3-year-old boy climbed barrier, fell 15 feet into gorilla enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo.

Harambe (17-year-old, 450-pound silverback) grabbed child, dragged him through water for 10 minutes.

Zoo officials shot Harambe to save child’s life.

The Immediate Response

Debate erupted:

• Should zoo have used tranquilizer?
• Were parents responsible?
• Should child’s mother face charges?
• Zoo’s fault for inadequate barriers?

The incident was tragic, debate contentious.

The Meme Transformation

Summer 2016: Tragedy became internet’s biggest meme:

The shift from serious to absurd was rapid and bizarre. Harambe became symbol of everything wrong with 2016.

”Dicks Out for Harambe”

The phrase (origin: comedian Brandon Wardell tweet):

• Meant as non-sexual tribute
• Became rallying cry
• Spread across internet
• T-shirts, signs at events
• Presidential candidate write-ins

The absurdity was the point.

The Ubiquity

Harambe appeared:

• 11,000+ write-in votes (US election)
• Super Bowl commercials (referenced)
• Music (Gorillaz, Young Thug)
• Art installations
• Vigils (ironic and sincere)

You couldn’t escape Harambe.

The Backlash

Criticism:

• Disrespectful to deceased animal
• Zoo staff traumatized by memes
• Parents harassed
• Tragedy shouldn’t be joke
• Internet’s cruelty exposed

The meme-ification felt cruel.

The 2016 Symbol

Why Harambe resonated:

• 2016 was chaotic year (Trump, Brexit, etc.)
• Harambe represented innocence lost
• Absurdist humor coping mechanism
• Unified internet around nonsense
• Pre-Trump election anxiety outlet

Gorilla became 2016’s mascot.

The Zoo’s Response

Cincinnati Zoo:

• Closed social media (overwhelmed)
• Asked internet to stop
• Director defended decision
• Harassment of staff

The attention was unwanted.

The Decline

By 2017: Meme faded as:

• Trump presidency took attention
• New memes emerged
• Beating dead gorilla (so to speak)

But Harambe never fully died.

The Legacy

By 2023, Harambe represented:

• 2016’s peak absurdist internet
• How tragedy becomes meme
• Internet’s coping through humor
• When jokes go too far
• Symbol of pre-Trump innocence

The gorilla who died saving child became internet deity, presidential candidate, and eternal meme. We’re still not sure if dicks are out.

Source: Cincinnati Zoo statements, election write-in data, meme documentation