Fellas: Not Pronouncing the Nonsense, Just S***-posting
September 1, 2022 3:55 PM Subscribe
Twitter's Own #NAFOFellas are getting attention: "The North Atlantic Fella Organisation (spellings vary) is a tongue-in-cheek label adopted by a virtual army that champions Ukraine’s cause and harangues its foes on social media. Its members don the avatar of a cartoon shiba inu dog—a breed borrowed from an older meme of 2013. They post caustic, typically humorous, memes mocking Russia’s military performance and the outlandish claims of its officials and propagandists" (Economist; Wayback version).
But is it working? On weaponizing meme culture (Politico). On pronouncing the nonsense, and chasing a Russian diplomat offline (Vice). Turning the trolls on Russia (WaPo).
Bonus: Know your Fella. St. Javelin and other saints.
But is it working? On weaponizing meme culture (Politico). On pronouncing the nonsense, and chasing a Russian diplomat offline (Vice). Turning the trolls on Russia (WaPo).
Bonus: Know your Fella. St. Javelin and other saints.
Their stuff is definitely getting shared around; I've seen it reposted in places that I wouldn't have expected.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:27 PM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Dip Flash at 5:27 PM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
This is great! Maybe I will go back to Twitter after all.
posted by joannemerriam at 5:36 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by joannemerriam at 5:36 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
NAFO, Natowave, Dark Brandon. The latest memes are fun.
posted by interogative mood at 6:35 PM on September 1, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by interogative mood at 6:35 PM on September 1, 2022 [4 favorites]
There's was an informative (and entertaining) podcast recently where the host interviewed one of the Ukranian creators of the movement.
Foreign Office with Michael Weiss: Foreign Office #63. The Fellas of NAFO
https://anchor.fm/freerussia/episodes/Foreign-Office-63--The-Fellas-of-NAFO-e1ln0js
posted by longdaysjourney at 6:45 PM on September 1, 2022 [4 favorites]
Foreign Office with Michael Weiss: Foreign Office #63. The Fellas of NAFO
https://anchor.fm/freerussia/episodes/Foreign-Office-63--The-Fellas-of-NAFO-e1ln0js
posted by longdaysjourney at 6:45 PM on September 1, 2022 [4 favorites]
I'd say these were some kind of intelligence play if I didn't know there is no CIA.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 10:08 PM on September 1, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 10:08 PM on September 1, 2022 [5 favorites]
Does this make them the Andy Warhol or the Jackson Pollock of our times?
(Whoever comes up with a slamdunk punchline reply, know that... I will probably have to google it up because I only recall those two lol)
posted by cendawanita at 10:37 PM on September 1, 2022
(Whoever comes up with a slamdunk punchline reply, know that... I will probably have to google it up because I only recall those two lol)
posted by cendawanita at 10:37 PM on September 1, 2022
This reminds me of /r/NonCredibleDefense/, though I only occasionally know what they're going on about there.
posted by Bee'sWing at 3:32 AM on September 2, 2022
posted by Bee'sWing at 3:32 AM on September 2, 2022
NAFO, Natowave, Dark Brandon. The latest memes are fun.
Some have pointed out that the lighting in Biden's Philadelphia speech last night really leaned into the whole "Dark Brandon" thing.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 6:31 AM on September 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
Some have pointed out that the lighting in Biden's Philadelphia speech last night really leaned into the whole "Dark Brandon" thing.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 6:31 AM on September 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
What the hell is Dark Brandon? I keep seeing the name around and I have no idea what it's referring to.
posted by sciatrix at 9:52 AM on September 2, 2022
posted by sciatrix at 9:52 AM on September 2, 2022
What the hell is Dark Brandon? I keep seeing the name around and I have no idea what it's referring to.
The first result in google gives a pretty good overview of the meme (link) but there have been quite a few articles about this, including how the recent speech seemed to lean into this visually. It would make for an intersting FPP at some point.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:04 AM on September 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
The first result in google gives a pretty good overview of the meme (link) but there have been quite a few articles about this, including how the recent speech seemed to lean into this visually. It would make for an intersting FPP at some point.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:04 AM on September 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
What the hell is Dark Brandon? I keep seeing the name around and I have no idea what it's referring to.
"Be the sort of president that Chinese propaganda wants you to be."
Conservative and other anti-US propaganda worldwide often makes moderate little milquetoast Biden into some sort of dark god. Dark Brandon is taking all that and just saying, "Yeah, he's the fucking anti-Christ and it's fucking metal," and then laughing because it's hilarious.
posted by charred husk at 10:27 AM on September 2, 2022 [5 favorites]
"Be the sort of president that Chinese propaganda wants you to be."
Conservative and other anti-US propaganda worldwide often makes moderate little milquetoast Biden into some sort of dark god. Dark Brandon is taking all that and just saying, "Yeah, he's the fucking anti-Christ and it's fucking metal," and then laughing because it's hilarious.
posted by charred husk at 10:27 AM on September 2, 2022 [5 favorites]
That Vox explainer really undersold how much Dark Brandon was flopping as much as a more earnest version of a focus grouped appropriation of street fashion could. People were more comfortably calling it cringe not two months ago. It's the one-two punch of the IRA bill and the student loan forgiveness that gave it an unexpected boost, the cultural teeth if you will. And the upcoming KO of the Mar-a-Lago raid. The earned flex that Biden WH didn't quite have before, in this age of irony (but of a more sincere sort).
It's why NAFO also works. It's absolutely cringe that randos have the equivalent energy of a snydercut dude @-ing a movie studio president, but Ukraine isn't flopping the way WB is. If it's just a matter of selection of doge pix, western-led socmed accounts would actually be a legit player against China proxies in the meme war. But in that arena, guess who was winning? The Southeast Asian (now expanded to East and Central, even parts of Africa) Milk Tea Army.
posted by cendawanita at 10:51 AM on September 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
It's why NAFO also works. It's absolutely cringe that randos have the equivalent energy of a snydercut dude @-ing a movie studio president, but Ukraine isn't flopping the way WB is. If it's just a matter of selection of doge pix, western-led socmed accounts would actually be a legit player against China proxies in the meme war. But in that arena, guess who was winning? The Southeast Asian (now expanded to East and Central, even parts of Africa) Milk Tea Army.
posted by cendawanita at 10:51 AM on September 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
In short, the 'this you?' rhetorical tactic is incredibly effective because the archness isn't just hollow. I was going to say that this is relevant for the side whose politics is still mainly fact-based even when extremely ideological, but I need to clarify I don't just mean figures and research. Strongman Trump memes worked on his base because they noticed his policy 'wins'.
So even something as full as hot air as memes need a ballast. Or else the wah-wah sound of a sad trombone as the crowd checks out another attraction is only inevitable. (Oops pressed enter) I call into evidence the more people were memeing his sad crowd turnouts in the later years. NAFO works so well because it turned out Russia's just an entire nation of a dying sad trombone orchestra.
posted by cendawanita at 11:02 AM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
So even something as full as hot air as memes need a ballast. Or else the wah-wah sound of a sad trombone as the crowd checks out another attraction is only inevitable. (Oops pressed enter) I call into evidence the more people were memeing his sad crowd turnouts in the later years. NAFO works so well because it turned out Russia's just an entire nation of a dying sad trombone orchestra.
posted by cendawanita at 11:02 AM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Reddit’s NonCredibleDefense (NCD) probably deserves its own FPP. I’m pretty sure that NAFO grew out of guys who met up via NCD. Their first big win was announced on NCD when they took over the /r/Moscow subreddit by infiltrating the mod team.
posted by interogative mood at 11:31 AM on September 2, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by interogative mood at 11:31 AM on September 2, 2022 [6 favorites]
@LiveFaustDieJung is an internet friend of mine and the receiver of the "You pronounced this nonsense" tweet. It's been really fun to watch this evolve with an insiders perspective. I recently received my "Victory through superior firepower power" schwag. It's great stuff.
posted by nestor_makhno at 5:37 PM on September 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by nestor_makhno at 5:37 PM on September 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
The Economist, NATO, the US Marine Corps, and GCHQ; all organizations that stand for freedom, justice, and a swift end to senseless bloodshed.
For real though is anyone actually falling for this? Who is the target audience?
posted by jy4m at 4:02 PM on September 5, 2022
For real though is anyone actually falling for this? Who is the target audience?
posted by jy4m at 4:02 PM on September 5, 2022
It's why NAFO also works. It's absolutely cringe that randos have the equivalent energy of a snydercut dude @-ing a movie studio president, but Ukraine isn't flopping the way WB is. If it's just a matter of selection of doge pix, western-led socmed accounts would actually be a legit player against China proxies in the meme war. But in that arena, guess who was winning? The Southeast Asian (now expanded to East and Central, even parts of Africa) Milk Tea Army.
I don't think I've ever been this completely lost in a Metafilter thread before.
posted by AdamCSnider at 9:03 PM on September 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
I don't think I've ever been this completely lost in a Metafilter thread before.
posted by AdamCSnider at 9:03 PM on September 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
What the hell is Dark Brandon? I keep seeing the name around and I have no idea what it's referring to.
Well, I'm sure you know the whole "Let's Go Brandon" thing. As I understand it, "Dark Brandon" has arisen as an acknowledgement of Biden's shift to suddenly not taking shit from anyone and instead passing landmark legislation and calling Trumpers fascists. It's like the antithesis of "Sleepy Joe" - a little red meat for the liberals.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 6:10 AM on September 6, 2022
Well, I'm sure you know the whole "Let's Go Brandon" thing. As I understand it, "Dark Brandon" has arisen as an acknowledgement of Biden's shift to suddenly not taking shit from anyone and instead passing landmark legislation and calling Trumpers fascists. It's like the antithesis of "Sleepy Joe" - a little red meat for the liberals.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 6:10 AM on September 6, 2022
I don't think I've ever been this completely lost in a Metafilter thread before
Awesome! Do I win anything? Does this mean I'm at least C2 Level for Twitter English?
I'm more than happy to elaborate in more standard English, but which of these references would you like me to clarify?
posted by cendawanita at 8:55 AM on September 6, 2022
Awesome! Do I win anything? Does this mean I'm at least C2 Level for Twitter English?
I'm more than happy to elaborate in more standard English, but which of these references would you like me to clarify?
posted by cendawanita at 8:55 AM on September 6, 2022
which of these references would you like me to clarify?
This, please and thank you:
But in that arena, guess who was winning? The Southeast Asian (now expanded to East and Central, even parts of Africa) Milk Tea Army.
posted by MonkeyToes at 3:24 PM on September 7, 2022
This, please and thank you:
But in that arena, guess who was winning? The Southeast Asian (now expanded to East and Central, even parts of Africa) Milk Tea Army.
posted by MonkeyToes at 3:24 PM on September 7, 2022
Ah yes, I first mentioned them in a comment about Namewee's music video about glass hearts. Direct link to the explainer. But unfortunately it's not a hot war and didn't catch the imagination of the West, so feel free to imagine what happened next especially to the HK democracy activists, because unlike the Ukrainian and Central and Eastern European left, they got majorly slandered by the western tankies with no pushback, while in the meantime they got caught in various dragnets. But for the brief moment it worked online, it worked because China and their proxies were so self-evidently ridiculous and wrong that like NAFO, regular people boosted with attention and also their own mockery.
posted by cendawanita at 7:56 PM on September 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by cendawanita at 7:56 PM on September 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
From the Modern War Institute at West Point: On Trolls and Nuclear Signaling: Strategic Stability in the Age of Memes. "Incredibly, a great power adversary seeking to understand US critical national interests during a time of crisis cannot entirely discount the success of memes as a leading indicator for the direction of US foreign policy....Virtue-signaling online communities can make bellicose threats and maximalist demands that policymakers cannot without risking credibility. Whether through deliberate government synchronization with meme generators and social media bomb throwers or not, trolls then essentially become bad cops to the policymaker good cops."
posted by MonkeyToes at 3:33 PM on September 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by MonkeyToes at 3:33 PM on September 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
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