"Before TikTok: How Early Internet Memes Created a Billion-Dollar Culture Industry" - In this episode of Lost On the Internet, we excavate the prehistoric era of internet humor, when viral content spread without algorithms, influencers, or even the word "meme" itself.

Discover the forgotten origin stories behind phenomena like "All Your Base Are Belong To Us," "Hamster Dance," and the mysterious Dancing Baby that captivated the web before YouTube even existed. Through interviews with the accidental creators of these early viral sensations, learn how content spread in an era of dial-up connections and email chains.

We'll explore the bizarre ecosystem of sites like YTMND ("You're The Man Now Dog"), Newgrounds, and Something Awful that incubated internet humor years before social media platforms. Hear firsthand accounts from the pioneers who created viral content with basic HTML and Flash animations, never imagining they were establishing formats that would eventually drive billion-dollar industries.

But this isn't just nostalgic entertainment – it's digital anthropology. We'll trace how these primitive memes established patterns still used in modern viral marketing, from absurdist humor to remix culture. Experts explain how early meme communities created the template for how information spreads online, establishing rules for virality that marketers and politicians still follow today.

Perfect for internet culture enthusiasts, digital marketers, and anyone fascinated by how jokes evolve online. Whether you remember downloading "Badger Badger Badger" on Newgrounds or just want to understand the DNA of modern meme culture, this episode reveals how the internet's weirdest corners shaped mainstream digital communication.

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