TRENDING: 2022 in Review – I’m dumfungled, and you?

By Louise Burgers, Retailing Africa Editor. ‘Dumfungled’ is a phrase from an previous Scottish dialect for getting “mentally and physically worn out, made use of-up and strung-out”. Seems about proper for the finish of 2022. I’m surely sensation like that. WTAF 2022? Like seriously? Where by do I even commence crafting a humorous column to sum up this year in memes, when my default location is ‘stunned’ these days, like most other South Africans. It’s been A Great deal guys!

These have been just some of the lowlights: Parliament burnt down Russia invaded Ukraine, ensuing in food stuff costs and petrol skyrocketing community electric power blackouts then switched off any opportunity at financial restoration this year KZN was hit by devastating floods in April desire fees started out growing Twitter became the initial key social media community to implode income in a couch triggered a constitutional disaster additional power blackouts will make this a dark Christmas… and by means of it all, South Africans preserve building jokes and memes.

We may all be extremely dumfungled, but we can still aid each and every other during the tricky periods, and we do nonetheless crack a joke throughout the worst of occasions. That by yourself, should give some hope. These are some of the memes that described 2022, especially in our community retail and brand name sector:

JANUARY

When anyone said 2022 was heading to be ‘lit’, they really should have specified, as our historic Houses of Parliament burnt down early January. Presented that points only acquired worse in 2022, I come across these memes rather prophetic, in retrospect!

FEBRUARY

So, there we had been, worrying about our beloved Fish Paste currently being discontinued, when the world economic climate was about to blow up, as Russia invaded Ukraine with a single of the fishiest excuses ever.

MARCH

And so, it began… the war impacted on gas and foodstuff rates globally, as nicely as the provide chain. There was not substantially to snicker about, but rely on Saffers and their darkish humour to continue on the meme manufacturing unit.

APRIL

KZN was strike by devastating floods  – and the crazy continued, with the Trolley Bandit building headlines close to the environment, as he hitched a trip on a petrol tanker even though in a supermarket cart, in the rain, and on 1 of our busiest Joburg highways. View the online video right here.

May

Elon Musk’s mid-year bid for Twitter was the topic of a lot of memes. It was funny for a time, but that minute didn’t very last. Models and staff members keep on to exit Twitter as 2022 ends and Musk clips Twitter’s wings.

JUNE

Really hard relate to this meme. Ah effectively, they also make great shoe baggage further bags for things essential at university luggage to have library publications luggage to organise charitable donations and almost everything BUT the damn groceries, since I forget about. Just about every. Time!

JULY

After the completely nonsensical tale about Ryan Air introducing a ‘test’ for South Africans to prove, they have been, properly, actual South Africans and not nefarious criminals with phony SA passports, the memes came quick. It all appeared a bit of an Irish Joke, genuinely, in moments when the real truth is essentially harder to feel from time to time than phony news.

AUGUST

Some of our brand names turned meme targets as the financial system continued to squeeze budgets, and premium brand names in distinct, ended up singled out.

SEPTEMBER

Stage ‘I really don’t know what the hell phase it is’ electricity blackouts from Eskom. At this stage we had to share memes, as what a lot more could we say about ‘loadshedding’ at this stage? We have no a lot more terms – but this is our selection of loadshedding memes, if you continue to have a sense of humour still left.

Oct

At least in October, we could all marvel at the spray-on gown debuted by Paris-based mostly fashion designers Sebastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillan from the Coperni fashion home, in a dwell demonstration with supermodel Bella Hadid. The ‘spray-on dress’ video promptly went viral and just about every solitary key information community, trend and entertainment media, business media, and life style publication ran with the story and video.

NOVEMBER

November was a extended month, with our President’s Royal Tour, The Cyril Sofa Expose, and Musk’s Twitter Takeover, which was a charming social soap opera, sent one particular insane tweet at a time. I think we all need to get much more natural vitamins and have far more naps. Billionaires incorporated.

DECEMBER

It is heading to be a darkish festive year for a lot of South Africans, in much more means than 1, after the financial woes in our state and the ongoing disintegration of infrastructure and alleged sabotage at Eskom, our national electrical power utility. But, we are fortuitous to stay in a country with climate that isn’t that severe and a social, braai lifestyle. No lights. No concerns. We make hearth.

Happy Holiday seasons and see you in the New Yr!

Year IN Review

2021: https://retailingafrica.com/tendencies/2021-the-year-dumbfckery-attained-degree-5/

2020: https://retailingafrica.com/trends/trending-2020-summarised-in-memes/

Main image credit: Unsplash.com.

Louise Burgers is the Publisher, Editor and Co-Founder of RetailingAfrica.com. She has used over 20 years writing about the FMCG retailing, promoting, media and promotion marketplace in South Africa and on the African continent. She also lectures publish-grad students in Marketing and Advertising Communications. Specialising in nearby and Africa purchaser developments, Louise is a passionate Afro-optimist who believes it is Africa’s time to rise once again and that the Africa Continental Cost-free Trade Arrangement (AfCFTA) will be a worldwide gamechanger this 10 years.

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