Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Have you seen some stuff about Cal football and a “woke agenda”? And you’re very confused about that whole thing? Don’t worry. We’re here to help.
These are very strange times in college football.
On Saturday in Week 4, the 3-0 California Golden Bears face 0-3 Florida State in an ACC matchup. That alone is quite a lot to process. But it gets a little bit weirder these days as Cal’s extremely online fan base started sharing memes that poke fun at every stereotype of the students at Berkeley.
You know that final rap battle in 8 Mile where Eminem uses every single diss Captain America has against him to win? It’s a lot like that. But in the last week, the Cal Woke Mob memes have truly taken over college football. It’s utterly ridiculous and unavoidable.
It’s also the SEC’s fault.
Wait, how is the SEC involved?
Well, you can go way back to the SEC kicking off another round of realignment that led to the death of the Pac-12 as we know it. But let’s fast forward to the lead up to last week’s matchup at Auburn.
Tigers fans thought they could get their jokes off at the expense of Cal fans without any pushback before the game.
Then Auburn associate AD Bill Shannon replied to a joke on X/Twitter about Cal fans mistaking Toomer’s Drugs for a marijuana dispensary with a sarcastic remark of his own.
“I have another caution: No military flyover has taken place at a Cal game since the 50’s,” Shannon posted. “Those who do stand for the National Anthem may need something to calm them down. USAF jets incoming.”
Of course, that is claim absolutely false — Cal had an F-15 flyover last October. But it was too late. The damage was done.
Shannon offered a backhanded apology, then deleted his account entirely.
“No offense meant to Cal. Thought it was a bit of humor,” Shannon posted. “I grew up in California and know the political views there or at least the stereotypical ones. We cherish our ROTC cadets here and it’s gratifying to know Cal does to [sic] @california.”
That really backfired, huh?
Sure did! Especially after Cal came to Auburn and won, 21-14.
And that’s where this thing takes a turn for the absurd as Cal fans memed Auburn into oblivion, starting with this gem:
You can’t win football games anymore, because of the woke pic.twitter.com/1sXs07GgfM
— Terence Lau (@terencelau) September 8, 2024
It was all a little too perfect. Cal fans making every joke before someone else could use it as an insult somehow made all the sense in the world.
Especially considering the school now plays in an ACC conference featuring a number of schools located in much more conservative-leaning states.
Cal fans knew all the buzzwords to make the eyes of many conservative fans of those teams start to twitch: DEI, Woke Mob, Critical Race Theory, Gender Neutral Bathrooms.
Pretty much all the most recent dog whistles thrown into the “culture war” were suddenly getting thrown right back.
You can guess what happened next.
After Florida State lost to Memphis at home to drop to 0-3 — and before Cal even played it’s Week 3 matchup against San Diego State — Golden Bears fans set their sights on triggering everyone in Tallahassee.
You mean CALahassee?
You catch on quick!
Let’s take a brief look at some of the more popular memes that floating around before Week 4’s matchup:
Touched down in Calahassee 📍 pic.twitter.com/e0vWxjNSW3
— OTT TO GO (@HaasOfOtt) September 19, 2024
Me and the homies landing in Tallahassee on September 21st pic.twitter.com/ibvrry4DFj
— Don Grizzell, Ph.D. (@golDonbear) January 24, 2024
Time for your land acknowledgement, FSU! pic.twitter.com/Qv98VyW08f
— The Liberal Calgorithm (@wokemobfootball) September 16, 2024
Welcome to your worst nightmare @DJUiagalelei pic.twitter.com/N56z3IcfIY
— Oski’s Drunk Uncle (@OskisDrunkUncle) September 19, 2024
the conversion to eco-friendly communal housing will begin immediately after the final whistle pic.twitter.com/C6sWvrw4dU
— rex volcanø (@RexVolcano) September 20, 2024
Expect Us. pic.twitter.com/nE1TzE2032
— Don Grizzell, Ph.D. (@golDonbear) September 14, 2024
Cal fans, I owe you an apology, I wasn’t really familiar with your game
I’m not sure any of us were prepared for what happens when you bring Pac-12 After Dark mainstays into the daylight.
The Cal Woke Mob memes are only gaining in strength, and it seems like everyone on college football Twitter has found them impossible to avoid.
Is there a name for this phenomenon?
It’s called the Calgorithm. And it comes for us all.
The Calgorithm is real.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) September 19, 2024
Thinking about joining Cal Twitter
— Steven Godfrey (@38Godfrey) September 10, 2024
The Calgorithm has taken over my Twitter feed, and I cannot stop laughing.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) September 17, 2024
If you’re reading this, it’s probably too late for you to avoid the power of the Calgorithm.
At least now, you have an understanding why: Blame Auburn.
