FEELS GOOD MAN. The Hate you Repost

It’s hard to find someone today who isn’t familiar with Pepe. The sad frog has dominated the internet—you can literally encounter it everywhere, each time in a slightly different form. Sometimes Pepe will be dressed as tea-sipping Adolf Hitler, other times as a subtly smiling Bin Laden, or even a triumphant Donald Trump. How did it happen that this cartoon frog became associated with such, to put it euphemistically, controversial figures? The answer is provided by Arthur Jones and his debut documentary “Feels Good Man”, which takes viewers on a journey back to 2005—the year Pepe was born.

The friendly amphibian was conceived by Matt Furie as one of the main characters in “Boy’s Club”, a comic series focused on the life adventures of four friends and roommates. The artist posted selected panels from the comic on his MySpace blog, from which Pepe quickly found his way to the rapidly growing 4chan. Users of the site fell in love with the character created by Furie at first sight, but gradually started modifying him to their own liking. In this way, Pepe transformed from a carefree, fun-loving ex-student into a sad neet.

If the story had ended there, the documentary probably wouldn’t exist. Do full-length films hit theaters dedicated to Doge, Bad Luck Brian, or Nyan Cat? Pepe’s popularity continued to grow, fueled by 4chan’s loyal users. The peak of the frog’s (in)fame came in 2016, during the start of Donald Trump’s political campaign. The Republican candidate’s team recognized the potential in the image of the sad frog, which represented a whole new social group. Pepe quickly became one of the most important symbols of Trump’s aggressive campaign, and soon Trump himself began sharing memes featuring the frog on Twitter. That was enough to make 4chan explode.

What exactly did this “explosion” look like? Just take a look at archival footage, which Arthur Jones skillfully weaves into his film’s narrative. People in frog masks harassing Muslims in mosques, internet users celebrating Hillary Clinton’s stumble on her way to a car, crowds storming Washington’s Capitol Hill in the name of Pepe and Trump (in that order)—viewers will find their jaws regularly hitting the floor during these scenes. These unbelievable, deeply unsettling images help explain the decision by the Anti-Defamation League, which, at the end of 2016, added Pepe to the official list of international hate symbols.

The formal side of “Feels Good Man” is complemented by animated segments brought to life by four different animators (including the director himself, who previously worked as a graphic designer). These animated sequences often illustrate or supplement the documentary’s commentary, while visually referencing Matt Furie’s distinctive comic style. They are an integral part of the film, never disrupting the carefully paced narrative. Aesthetically, they hold value in their own right.

And how did the creator of the original character react to all this chaos? Arthur Jones never loses focus on Matt Furie, whose weary voice and distant gaze best illustrate what the innocent artist had to endure. Yes, the documentary ends on a positive note—we see the artist pursuing legal action to reclaim his rights to the character, mainly fighting the commercial use of Pepe’s image by far-right groups. However, we can’t shake the feeling that Furie’s brave and just crusade somewhat resembles a quixotic battle against windmills. The enemy here isn’t a specific group of people but hatred itself, for which the internet—a wonderful, incredibly useful invention—is a perfect, endless reservoir.