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# #725 | Memes, Backrooms & Aliens
- URL: https://www.protein.xyz/725-memes-backrooms-aliens/
- Published: 2026-04-10T16:42:31.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-13T11:27:36.000Z
- Author: Protein
- Tags: Supplement

For some, the 2010s remain the golden age – a time before feeds calcified and content became industrial. TikTok’s “[Great Meme Reset Of 2026](https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/1oq0ukr/whats%5Fup%5Fwith%5Fthis%5Fwhole%5Fgreat%5Fmeme%5Freset/?ref=protein.xyz)” taps into that longing, calling for a return to something “dank” and less forced. 

As [*WIRED* reports](https://www.wired.com/story/the-great-meme-reset-is-coming/?ref=protein.xyz), the implication is clear: memes have lost something. AI-slop, algorithmic churn, brainrot, the weight of brands trying too hard – all have reduced the quality of today’s meme stock, making older memes more culturally valuable. But memes were never meant to be stable. They began in the margins – forums, subcultures, inside jokes – and now sit at the centre of culture itself.

> Join us on 29th April for a lively discussion with a panel spanning culture, strategy and the internet’s more chaotic corners to explore how memes shape meaning, how they drift and whether – in this phase of their evolution – they still matter.

[REGISTER HERE](https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN%5FnxnBuGVtQoe19L6ZXPu-ug?ref=protein.xyz#/registration)

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[Wired, Tired, DesiredHow performative audiophilia is turning tangled earbuds and hi-fi systems into a new language of taste, identity and display.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Protein XYZAlexi Gunner![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fc/71/fc716215-5729-441a-bd07-e2b50bc413b1/content/images/size/w1200/2026/03/Untitled-design-3.png)](https://www.protein.xyz/wired-tired-desired/)

[Inside SEED Club #4This extract from Protein’s new JOURNAL captures a new global mood emerging across São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona, Mexico City, Chandigarh, Melbourne, Milan, New York and beyond.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Protein XYZProtein![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fc/71/fc716215-5729-441a-bd07-e2b50bc413b1/content/images/size/w1200/2026/04/Untitled-design.png)](https://www.protein.xyz/inside-seed-club-4/)

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