AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The "Elmo Rise" meme, also known as "Hellmo" or "Elmo Fire," features a crudely designed Elmo from the children's television series "Sesame Street." In the meme template, Elmo is depicted with a somewhat menacing look, standing before a fiery backdrop. This image initially originated as a decoration on a cake and later was edited onto a plain black background with dramatic flames surrounding Elmo. This particular image of Elmo in such an intense setting is widely used in various memes, generally as a reaction image to convey intense or overwhelming situations.

OriginWho did it first?

The "Elmo Rise" meme first surfaced on November 1, 2012, when it was posted on CakeWrecks.com by user Jen. The meme, which began as an unusual cake decoration, features a striking version of Elmo that carries a striking expression akin to being overly concerned or frightened. The blog post humorously suggested that the stricken expression on the cake resembled one of a person willing to do anything for peace, emphasized with a tone of jest about enjoying Halloween treats. The image was picked up by various users and transformed into the meme as it is known today, involving the characteristic background of flames.^[1]

Origin: 2012