Opinion: DOGE: A Meme, a Currency, or a Governmental Agency?

If you are older than 12, you likely remember the various memes relating to the “Doge” dog that reigned the Internet in the 2010s. Nowadays, we have the sophomores’ and freshmen’s beloved Skibidi Toilet. While it may not be as philosophically engaging as the Skidbidi Toilet, Doge was and continues to be the source of much cringe and embarrassment for many. Doge, unlike most memes, has lasted for over a decade– it has even outlasted the dog it was based off: the Shibu Inu which inspired the meme, Kabosu, died in May 2024. While the original dog may be dead, the propagation of his iconic image is far from sharing the same fate. 

Doge Meme, Pinterest.

In 2013, a small crypto currency by the name of Dogecoin was released, and by 2021 had a total value of 85 billion dollars, which made it worth more than what Chipotle is today. Despite a fall off from its peak in 2021, Dogecoin has remained a very memed and popular asset to own, despite the lack of any particular function.

Coincidentally, one of the biggest proponents of Dogecoin and the meme was none other than Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Recently Musk has embarked on a sort of political crusade, which was mostly begun following his acquisition of Twitter (Now X), supporting former president Donald Trump in his bid to get reelected as the 47th president of the United States. Musk would see his efforts bear fruit, as on November 5th, Donald Trump was named as the president-elect, thanks in large part to Musk’s influence among other influential figures who had endorsed the former Home Alone 2 actor. Either to reward or incorporate campaign promises, Trump proceeded to appoint many of these people to his cabinet or in advisory boards. 

Dogecoin via Dogecoin.

Elon Musk was joined by the businessman-turned-politician Vivek Ramaswamy, in the slyly named Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which seeks to reduce excessive government spending in order to balance the budget. This acronym and the Department’s emblem showcase not only the modern relevance of the meme, but also the unorthodoxy of the new president-elect’s pick. Perhaps one day, people will forget that Doge even was a meme in the first place and not a cryptocurrency or governmental agency.

Pinterest.

Sources:

“So-called Department of Government Efficiency Would be Responsible for Nearly 500,000 Veteran Layoffs if Musk and Ramaswamy Execute Stated Plans”, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE WORKERS, November 21 2024, So-called Department of Government Efficiency Would be Responsible for Nearly 500,000 Veteran Layoffs if Musk and Ramaswamy Execute Stated Plans - IAMAW.

Counts, Andrews, “Wow. Dogecoin is the most Internet thing to happen, ever”, Digitaltrends, October 28, 2020, https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/wow-dogecoin-bitcoin/. 

“Dogecoin”, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogecoin. 

“Doge (meme)”, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doge_(meme).