Pepe was weaponized by the alt right and Russian propaganda machine 3-4 years ago. I wouldn’t call it recent. Many people are just recently learning about it though which is why propaganda is such a useful tool. It can seem incredibly innocent but be terribly insidious.
By 2016, the character’s image had been appropriated[8] as a symbol of the controversial alt-right movement.[9] The Anti-Defamation League added certain incarnations of Pepe the Frog to their database of hate symbols in 2016, adding that not all Pepe memes are racist.[10]Since then, Pepe’s creator has publicly expressed his dismay at Pepe being used as a hate symbol.[11]
Call it whatever you want, it doesn’t change the fact it is now an image that is used as a symbol of hate. The swastika was turned from a religious symbol so a symbol of genocidal hate with the flip of the symbol.
If you want to choose to ignore what Pepe is used for today, that’s fine, but being cute about it is pretty offensive to those impacted by racial hate.
It spawned out of the darker corners of the web like 4chan and some seedy subreddits on Reddit. They’ve also taken the ‘ok’ sign (you know index finger and thumb in a circle and three remaining fingers extended?) and weaponized that as well. You’ll see them flash it on camera/live recordings. One of the coast guard officers about a year ago was removed from his position as a result of it. One of the women on kavanaughs staff flashed it while he was being questioned by the senate.
Alt-right movements across the world are circling around these otherwise innocent things because then they get to cry censorship and free speech when they are called out on it.
Ahh that’s why I don’t know. I hate 4chan and more or less hate reddit. Lol guess you could say I live under a rock since all the “cool kids” use them. Course I don’t have fb anymore either. Good riddance on that one.