Okay, I'm supposed to be working on other things at the moment, but I have this odd little quirk about researching things. Namely, I saw someone on 'the Internets' (on Gather, specifically) claiming ownership of the phrase 'makes the Baby Jesus cry', and thus insisting that anyone else who used the phrase (or the tag) must be referring to them personally.
Well, that got to me. I know that phrase certainly didn't originate on Gather, and I tend to worry when people attempt to call trademark on the words we use in everyday English, and so I did some research on the subject. Granted, tracking the progress of Internet trends is nearly impossible, but here's what I dug up:
Let's start with Objective Ministry's "Have You Accepted Jesus Yet?" While you can't actually make him cry - he just closes his eyes, looks emo, and occasionally throws a 'Why?' at you, though he does smile if you click on him, even if you poke him repeatedly in the eye or something - this is an example of where the phrase was spawned from - religious materials attempting to guilt you out of your sinful, sinful ways by making you stare at a miserable baby (purportedly, Jesus.) I'm sure there's more out there.
From there, it was only a matter of time until people on the Internet adopted this as a clever catchphrase. It is used by various posters to represent anything seen as unpleasant, controversial, or evil by certain fanatical groups, on everything from message and bulletin boards to chatrooms and instant messages to social networking sites like Gather. Urban Dictionary explains the concept nicely.
But who used it first? Well, it's honestly hard to tell. With the dynamic nature of the Internet, arguing over who really used a phrase first is, at best, silly, and attempting to lay claim to it even sillier. For example, Intro5pect's 2007 EP, RealPolitik!, features a song entitled Crooked Lies. What does that have to do with it? The full title is "Crooked Lies (Make The Baby Jesus Cry)." Check out the lyrics.
A simple search on Google reveals a whopping 117,000 results for "baby jesus cry". You could probably go through and look for the oldest if you wanted to win the argument of who used it first, but right now, I can prove that it existed at least back to 2004, spoken by someone named Chris Sedlack, and quoted in this guy's blog. Since Gather dates back to about ... 2005, I think? It's old enough to pre-date Gather, at least.
Can you find an older reference to making the baby Jesus cry, or just an unusual one? Comment back with a link and let's see how far back we can go!
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Comments: 43
You and she both know that you were referencing me when she posted her comment. Why don't you act like "the 30+ demographic" and own up to it when you people are talking about someone.
Just because you and her are on gather's pay role does not make you exempt from harassing people. Every time I speak out about how I feel about a change on her, Laura likes to add her two cents, which is fine, but when you start being sneaky and trying to talk about people without actually saying who you are talking about, you just prove your intelligence level.
I never once said I owned the phrase, READ AGAIN! I said I was the 1st person to use it as a tag on Gather. But as always you and Laura have to make a wild ass statement to generate points for yourselves.
I posted the tag as humor. It used to be a category of stuff on Encyclopedia Dramatica
Maybe if you spent sometime off the internet in the real world you would have the ability to fact check first before you start making up crap.
I would like to state publically I INVENTED the internet so bite it Al Gore.
Teehee.
Sorry you got flagged.
Some people.
What I do if someone bugs the snot out of me and I cant stand what they say or how they post it I will just steer clear of them.
Just sayin.
Oh Rob, I like "what the eff??" I am claiming that one. I consider it not swearing when I say it. Since I seem to have a problem with swearing - can't seem to stop. I know it isn't ladylike but hey I gotta have something.
I said I was the first person on here to use it as a tag. That is all. Nothing more, nothing less.
Thanks!
Thank you for proving my point.
You are claiming, basically, that any use of that phrase refers directly to you, because at some point, you used it as a tag. Therefore, by implication, you are suggesting that you coined it, by insisting that anyone else who uses the phrase must be referring to you, regardless of the fact that the phrase is provably six years old, and probably dates back even further.
The Internet disagrees. Now, seriously, you can dislike me or my wife for whatever reason gets you your jollies, but can you please stop trying to claim that you own Internet catchphrases?
Fact: I am the first person to use the tag 'things that make baby jesus cry' on here. I was using it for humor.
Obviously you are too dumb to see your own mistake.
Whatever, I don't care, write whatever you want about me and put words into my mouth. If it makes you feel better about yourself than who am I to deny you that pleasure?
This is just getting amusing.
I am tired of using logic on here, I'll just go make a "name a word that starts with a letter: game because that is the intelligence level of most people on here.
I'm going to go harass myself.
Thanks Rev! We love you too!
spending precious time researching the fact it is not true in order to prove a already known fact to people on Gather - Moronic and a waste of time!
How stupid do yout think your Gather friends are?
Sheesh!
... seriously?
::checks on Google:: Well, I'll be. It wasn't Sony, but here it is, #6 on Earvolution's Top 10 Corporate Moments in Rock.
I don't think my friends are that dumb, don't worry - but it can't have been a waste of time, because you're reading it. ::winks::