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

By Louise Burgers, Retailing Africa Editor. ‘Dumfungled’ is a word from an outdated Scottish dialect for becoming “mentally and physically worn out, used-up and strung-out”. Seems about suitable for the conclude of 2022. I’m unquestionably sensation like that. WTAF 2022? Like critically? Exactly where do I even begin creating a humorous column to sum up this yr in memes, when my default placing is ‘stunned’ these times, like most other South Africans. It is been A Whole lot guys!

These have been just some of the lowlights: Parliament burnt down Russia invaded Ukraine, ensuing in meals selling prices and petrol skyrocketing area electric power blackouts then switched off any chance at economic restoration this calendar year KZN was strike by devastating floods in April curiosity fees begun rising Twitter became the 1st key social media community to implode dollars in a couch triggered a constitutional disaster additional power blackouts will make this a dark Christmas… and by it all, South Africans hold making jokes and memes.

We may possibly all be extremely dumfungled, but we can still assist each other through the tough occasions, and we do nonetheless crack a joke throughout the worst of occasions. That alone, need to give some hope. These are some of the memes that defined 2022, specifically in our nearby retail and manufacturer sector:

JANUARY

When another person mentioned 2022 was going to be ‘lit’, they really should have specified, as our historic Residences of Parliament burnt down early January. Provided that issues only received worse in 2022, I discover these memes somewhat prophetic, in retrospect!

FEBRUARY

So, there we have been, worrying about our beloved Fish Paste currently being discontinued, when the entire world financial system 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 gasoline and food costs globally, as well as the source chain. There wasn’t much to laugh about, but belief Saffers and their dark humour to continue the meme manufacturing unit.

APRIL

KZN was strike by devastating floods  – and the outrageous ongoing, with the Trolley Bandit building headlines all around the planet, as he hitched a ride on a petrol tanker while in a supermarket cart, in the rain, and on one particular of our busiest Joburg highways. Look at the movie in this article.

May

Elon Musk’s mid-yr bid for Twitter was the topic of several memes. It was humorous for a time, but that moment did not past. Brands and staff go on to exit Twitter as 2022 finishes and Musk clips Twitter’s wings.

JUNE

Tough relate to this meme. Ah well, they also make good shoe bags extra bags for things essential at school bags to carry library books baggage to organise charitable donations and every little thing BUT the damn groceries, mainly because I overlook. Just about every. Time!

JULY

Following the totally nonsensical tale about Ryan Air introducing a ‘test’ for South Africans to demonstrate, they were, perfectly, real South Africans and not nefarious criminals with fake SA passports, the memes arrived rapidly. It all appeared a bit of an Irish Joke, truly, in times when the reality is actually harder to think at times than phony information.

AUGUST

Some of our brands became meme targets as the financial state ongoing to squeeze budgets, and quality brands in specific, ended up singled out.

SEPTEMBER

Stage ‘I really don’t know what the hell phase it is’ electrical power blackouts from Eskom. At this phase we experienced to share memes, as what much more could we say about ‘loadshedding’ at this place? We have no more text – but this is our selection of loadshedding memes, if you however have a sense of humour remaining.

October

At least in Oct, we could all marvel at the spray-on gown debuted by Paris-dependent vogue designers Sebastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillan from the Coperni vogue residence, in a live demonstration with supermodel Bella Hadid. The ‘spray-on dress’ video clip straight away went viral and each individual single major information network, style and amusement media, business media, and way of life publication ran with the tale and video.

NOVEMBER

November was a long thirty day period, with our President’s Royal Tour, The Cyril Sofa Reveal, and Musk’s Twitter Takeover, which was a captivating social cleaning soap opera, delivered one particular crazy tweet at a time. I consider we all need to have to acquire much more natural vitamins and have much more naps. Billionaires bundled.

DECEMBER

It is going to be a dim festive time for a lot of South Africans, in much more ways than 1, immediately after the financial woes in our state and the continued disintegration of infrastructure and alleged sabotage at Eskom, our countrywide electricity utility. But, we are privileged to stay in a place with weather that isn’t that excessive and a social, braai tradition. No lights. No problems. We make fire.

 

Satisfied Vacations and see you in the New Calendar year!

 

12 months IN Critique

2021: https://retailingafrica.com/traits/2021-the-12 months-dumbfckery-reached-degree-5/

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

 

Most important picture credit: Unsplash.com.

 

 

Louise Burgers is the Publisher, Editor and Co-Founder of RetailingAfrica.com. She has used more than 20 decades creating about the FMCG retailing, advertising, media and advertising marketplace in South Africa and on the African continent. She also lectures post-grad college students in Promoting and Marketing Communications. Specialising in neighborhood and Africa purchaser traits, Louise is a passionate Afro-optimist who thinks it is Africa’s time to rise once again and that the Africa Continental Cost-free Trade Settlement (AfCFTA) will be a world wide gamechanger this decade.

 

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