Four memes that have emerged with SGM’s Facebook Community
SGM has quickly become of the most eventful Sunderland community pages, and a frequent location of local news, updates and debate. As with all online communities, a unique meme culture and set of understandings have emerged with it. Here, we list four commonly used “memes”, or in other words shared humorous ideas, that appear on in the ever lively comments section.
Bring Back Crowtree
Created by Neil “Macka” McKnight, Bring Back Crowtree is a meme that calls for the return of the former leisure centre. He usually times the comments appropriately where it is either amusing, or nothing much else is being said. Although many people support this cause, some people see this as ironic and use it as such, and usually use it as a way of mocking the group they see as “the moaners.” Either way, the Crowtree Leisure Centre has become the iconic meme of those dissatisfied with Sunderland.
Was the Helicopter up?
It isn’t unusual to see police helicopters up and around the area. When that happens, people normally message SGM asking why, sometimes up to 5 or 6 people at a time. If we post about these developments, the responses are usually scornful and see it as un-newsworthy. This has led to a new meme emerging in the comments of unrelated posts where people ironically ask “was the helicopter up?”
This is shocking, shared “X”
Created by Sonny Dugan photography, if he sees a post which he deems overdramatic or unnewsworthy, he will respond by posting “This is shocking, shared X” and then usually names a random African country, i.e “this is outrageous, shared Zimbabwe!”. This itself is a parody of Facebook culture where people say things such as “shared Peterlee” on posts regarding missing dogs or people.
Heather Addison
Probably the most notable individual to post in the comments of SGM. Heather is Sunderland’s moaner in chief, and is deeply pessimistic regarding the state of the city. Any post about perceived developments or construction in Sunderland will attract a Heather comment almost instantaneously, which has become infamous on the page and also on other Sunderland sites. Heather usually stands her ground, and arguments with her can get comically abusive.
