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.
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."
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."
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.
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.
"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.'"
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.
