Hypnotoad

About

Hypnotoad refers to a large, toad-like alien originating from the animated television series Futurama. First appearing on the show in 2001, it gained memetic popularity for its ability to hypnotize people into a trance-like state of its own bidding. In memes, Hypnotoad is typically used as an interruptor in image macros alongside the catchphrase "All glory to the Hypnotoad," implying that someone has succumbed to its control. Various elements, particularly the eyes, are also frequently used in Photoshop edits to imply Hypnotoad's mind-controlling abilities having an effect on either the viewer or a subject in the meme. This usage is similar to the related meme Candlejack.

Origin

Hypnotoad originally appeared on Futurama in the episode "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid," which aired on February 18th, 2001.^[1] In the clip, Hypnotoad uses his hypnotic abilities to herd a flock of sheep and impress the judges of a dog show, only to then use his hypnosis to win and force the crowd to clap for him in robotic unison (seen below). The sound Hypnotoad makes while using his power is a recording of a turbine engine played backward.^[3]

The most commonly used image of Hypnotoad found in memes comes from the parody show Everybody Loves Hypnotoad, a spoof of Everybody Loves Raymond, where Hypnotoad is seen staring into the camera while seated atop a lily pad as he hypnotizes viewers into enjoying his program (shown below).^[2] It is unknown exactly who first posted a meme featuring Hypnotoad, but most of the oldest examples date back to the late 2000s in the form of a basic Advice-Animals-like image macro with the character appearing alongside the caption "All glory to the Hypnotoad."

Spread

Hypnotoad's mark on pop culture resulted in his widespread appearance in memes and other entertainment over the years. On August 8th, 2016, Adam Savage recreated an animatronic version of the character for his Tested YouTube^[4] channel, which received over 329,000 views, 5,200 likes and 610 comments in roughly four and a half years (shown below).

On July 26th, 2019, Redditor labouroflava posted a meme of Hypnotoad to the /r/AdviceAnimals^[5] subreddit, receiving over 1,600 upvotes in six months (seen below, left). On September 19th, 2020, the Facebook^[6] page Member Berries posted another example featuring the photoshopped eyes from Hypnotoad, receiving nearly 300 likes and 175 shares in five months (seen below, right).

On December 22nd, 2020, YouTuber^[7] Johnny 2 Cellos uploaded a video titled "The Complete History of The Hypnotoad" to his channel recounting his history on Futurama, accumulating over 41,200 views, 2,100 likes and 205 comments in two months (shown below).

Various Examples

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Search Interest

External References