The last few weeks have been a strain. I’ve been successful in pouring myself into my work, but only by completely reversing my sleep cycle. I’ve been way more active on social media since the election (Biden won!), which I’m sure isn’t as much an effective coping mechanism as the dopamine assures me it is.
Like many other forever-onliners, I have a heavy thumb on the pulse of meme culture. Not to be overly optimistic, but I look forward to being an old woman, telling stories of various absurdist memes that would take a section of the internet by storm and be forgotten weeks later. Recently, this has brought us to “copium”.
Copium has been used as a portmanteau of “cope” and “opium” since 2003, but it hasn’t seen popular use until October 2020. It’s been primarily used to describe the Trump administration’s over-rationalization of his defeat in the election. In short, it is a fictional drug used to cope with the feeling of being a loser. Funnily enough, it reminded me of a couple of digital paintings I did at the tail end of my tumblr-addiction days in high school, 2015.
The CO stood for Carbon Monoxide then. At the time I was constantly making angsty art to the point where college portfolio reviewers told me to cut it out. Public expression of angst whether in art or social media posts is often seen as a self-indulgent cry for attention. It might try to “start a conversation” about mental illness, but we all saw how well that worked out for Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why (not great). I personally think angst isn’t all that bad as a way for others to empathize with trauma, but a problem arises on social media when you see it constantly and it romanticizes suffering and mental illness. It becomes something that makes people feel unique for having suffered and keeps its consumers in a negative headspace without offering a more positive outlet. We honestly can’t stop it, and it was wrong of that portfolio reviewer to tell me that I should just take all angst out of my art as it’s an important form of self-validation. But we can redirect those feelings towards themes that are more conducive to personal growth.
Luckily, Millenials and in particular Gen Z have found hilarious ways to talk about angst in art and social media. We’ve gotten really good at playing off our negative issues as comedic in order to make them easier for others to process. And I can appreciate their sharp turn from the emo, edgy content I grew up on and emulated a lot in high school. I think most people realized that while validating one’s suffering is important, romanticizing the negative effects of mental illness is not a good look. Unless you’re Billie Eilish, or Lana Del Rey… ok, romanticization of loneliness and depression and the like is here to stay, but at least people are now generally more aware of their coping mechanisms than they were 10 or 20 years ago. Better yet, it’s a funny joke, which brings us back to copium.
If copium is the filmsy coping mechanisms we use to distract ourselves from modern day problems, the copium meme in its Pepe the Frog form is a joke that both indulges in and makes fun of how we partake in copium. On the one hand, the satirical take doesn’t get much deeper than laughing at our inability to tear ourselves away from it. But at the same time, it’s just not feasible to get closure on every anxious and depressing thought that plagues us snowflakes. Sometimes you need a break. And if taken responsibly, copium can power you through the things that really matter.
We can explore the concepts of angst and copium in a much more meaningful way through art. Netflix’s Bojack Horseman is an excellent example of a way to not just comedically reference suffering, but offer critical commentary and analysis on the way angst gives way to copium. It remains highly relatable without sacrificing authenticity or a path to growth. That is was I have tried to imbue into my more conceptual work, but time will tell how accurate or helpful my execution is.
“Good Damage” – Bojack Horseman Season 6 Episode 10
Sources:
“Copium” – Urban Dictionary
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Copium
“Copium” – Know Your Meme
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/copium
“Billie Eilish is giving a voice to angsty Gen Z — and making healthy teens wish they were depressed”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/red-alert-politics/billie-eilish-is-giving-a-voice-to-angsty-gen-z-and-making-healthy-teens-wish-they-were-depressed
“‘Romanticising’ Mental Health Is Not All Bad- Here’s Why”
https://www.cofounderstown.com/romanticising-mental-health-not-bad-heres-3b663
“Good Damage” – Bojack Horseman Season 6 Episode 10
https://www.netflix.com/watch/81026968