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Pepe the Frog: Feels Good Man

Pepe the Frog started life in 2005 as a cute cartoon character in an online comic. Today, he is known as an international hate symbol after being hijacked by the alt-right.

Pepe the Frog started life in 2005 as a cute cartoon character in Boy’s Club, an American indie comic on Myspace. Today, he is known as an international hate symbol after being hijacked by the alt-right. This film follows Pepe’s creator, artist Matt Furie, as he fights to bring back his lovable comic-book character from the dark forces who stole him.

As the internet exploded, memes of the benign and chill frog-dude started sweeping the internet with lightning speed. Once his image found its way into controversial online community 4chan – the anonymous, anything-goes forum rife with misogyny and racism - there was no turning back. Pepe re-emerged from the darkest corner of the internet decorated with swastikas and spewing racist slurs. He was even caught up in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

Exactly how that happened is a wild journey into the heart of online life today and an exploration of how a character meant to bring joy and fun slowly morphed into something else. Maybe, just maybe, he can change again.

3 days left to watch

1 hour, 27 minutes

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:08

    Shania Twain

    Man! I Feel Like A Woman!

  • 00:25

    Pet

    Wurlitzer Jukebox

  • 01:00

    Daniel Johnston

    Some Things Last A Long Time

Credit

Role Contributor
Director Arthur Jones

Broadcasts

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