The magical and mystical world Professor J.R.R. Tolkien created constantly inspired people to create something new. From Game of Thrones and Harry Potter to Led Zeppelin and Star Wars – we would be deprived of so many great films, TV shows, songs, and literature if not for the genius of The Lord of The Rings.
But amazing art is not the only thing Tolkien's world inspires. The lore serves as inspiration for the vast amount of memes and jokes as well. That's how pages like The Rings Of Power Memes Club are born. So here is a selection of the top-tier memes from their page to enjoy with your second breakfast!
Bored Panda got in touch with the creator of this group, Aman Verma. He was kind enough to have short chat with us, so be sure to check it out down below!
We also contacted Tolkienist Nick Polk. He is the production editor for Mallorn the academic journal of The Tolkien Society and the creator of the Tolkien Pop! Substack. Nick kindly agreed to talk with us more about memeing The Lord of the Rings and the role of humor in Tolkien's world. Read our conversation with him below as well!
More info: Nick Polk | Tolkien Pop! | X | Instagram | Mallorn
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The Rings Of Power Memes Club currently has 54k Tolkien enthusiasts who come to the page for some daily LOTR meme content. Its creator, Aman Verma, says that the page is a solo project. He says that the allure of the LOTR world is not just childhood nostalgia for 2000s kids. He says that many people have a real, emotional bond to the franchise.
Verma told Bored Panda that he chose to make a Lord of the Rings meme page because he wanted to carry on its legacy online. That's why he hypes up The Rings of Power show that's streaming on Amazon. He says that for the old fans, it will probably take some time to accept the show. Verma himself is excited for season two, as well as for the recently announced The Hunt for Gollum.
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The world J.R.R. Tolkien created is so vast and complex that scholars dedicate their lives to exploring it. One such enthusiast is Nick Polk, the creator of the Tolkien Pop! Substack and editor for Mallorn, the academic journal of The Tolkien Society. Nick tells us that his journey into the LOTR fandom began in the late 1990s when he watched the animated version of The Hobbit at his grandma's.
"I watched it as a kid and loved it. I had no idea that it was connected to a wider universe and was unaware that J.R.R. Tolkien even existed. I even colored a picture of a Leprechaun, named him Dwalin, and gave him a blue beard in primary school!"
"Fast forward to the release of The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, my family and I fell in love with the movies and saw The Return of the King in theaters together. From there, I played the tie-in video games and rewatched the movies many, many times."
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When Nick grew up and started studying at university, Tolkien suddenly came back into his life. "I was given the advice from one of my professors to read books that I wanted to read in addition to my schoolwork. I chose The Hobbit and immediately went to The Lord of the Rings books for the first time. I devoured them, discovered The Silmarillion and The Tolkien Society, and have been a Tolkien freak ever since."
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In his Substack Tolkien Pop!, Nick writes about the intersection of pop culture and Tolkien. "Whether that be Tolkien's own influence on various intellectual properties or just comparative analysis between themes in Tolkien's writings and themes of other media," he describes it.
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One thing about Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings trilogy is that many people who aren't fans know its memes. How many times has the picture of Boromir with the line "One does not simply..." been used for something completely Tolkien-unrelated?
Or the iconic viral "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard" song? Polk argues there might be two reasons for their wide reach: the trilogy has an iconic status among 2000s kids and there are just so many great one-liners in the films.
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"I have heard many TV critics and fans label The Lord of the Rings movies as the 2000s Star Wars, and I tend to agree with those who use this analogy," Polk explains. "The Lord of the Rings movies had such a cultural impact that, much like the quote 'No, I am your father!' from Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from – you know that quote, who says it, and what universe it is located [in]. My wife does not enjoy fantasy, but even she knows the fan favorite meme 'PO-TA-TOES! Boil 'em, smash 'em, stick 'em in a stew.'"
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Nick also believes LOTR memes are so prevalent because they contain many catchy one-liners. "The 'One does not simply...' meme is one of the original internet memes that birthed memes as we know them today. Off the top of my head, here are just a handful that most, if not all, movie fans will know: 'Meat's back on the menu, boys!'; 'Alright then, keep your secrets'; 'It comes in pints?'; 'That still only counts as one!'"
Nick says that many of these are funny in the context of the movie, but they also are relatable enough to make people laugh in the real world.
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Nick says that The Lord of the Rings, like many other fandoms, brings people together. "Fans share artwork, theories, and deep-dives into the lore. Memes are an extension of this fan activity." He argues that meme-making is one of the easiest ways fans can be creative.
"Technology has made it easier to access scenes from movies and TV to put together a collage-like meme. TikTok and Instagram Reels have also made making video memes as accessible as possible. Gaps that would have made picture and video production difficult for the average person have been closed."
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In Nick's mind, it's all about bringing the community together. And silly memes can bring people together just fine. "Tolkien's universe has served as a catalyst for others to share other things that they enjoy," he explains.
"Shared humor and laughter fosters relationships and the creation and sharing of memes inspires people to come up with familiar and new ways to share jokes made from these memes from a Secondary World that they deeply love."
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Some people think there's not much humor in Tolkien's works or that the professor didn't have much of a sense of humor. But that couldn't be further from the truth. While his humor might've been on the drier side, Tolkien actually loved to laugh. Nick quotes Tolkien's biographer, Humphrey Carpenter: "He [Tolkien] could laugh at anybody, but most of all at himself, and his complete lack of any sense of dignity could and often did make him behave like a riotous schoolboy."
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"Humor and laughter were held in very high esteem by Tolkien," Tolkienist Nick Polk also tells us. "By making memes and not taking ourselves, or Middle-earth, too seriously, we honor Tolkien's memory. So, to all my meme-makers and meme-enjoyers, I beseech, 'Fly, you fools!'"
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