Abby Choke Edits
TL;DR · OriginAbby Choke Edits, also called Chokeposting, is an edit meme built on a single scene from Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II. The template is a still of the new character Ab…
Origin
Abby Choke Edits, also called Chokeposting, is an edit meme built on a single scene from Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II. The template is a still of the new character Abby choking the protagonist Ellie, and people paste characters from other franchises over the two figures so that anyone can be shown strangling anyone.
The scene reached the internet before the game did. On April 26, 2020, gameplay footage and cutscenes leaked online, including on YouTube, and on April 27 Sony announced a new release date of June 19, 2020. The meme itself began in an anonymous 4chan /v/ thread on May 3, 2020. One user posted the still of Abby choking Ellie, another in the same thread asked for an editable template, and one was supplied shortly after. The first known edit referenced the Daily Dose / Piccolo Dick meme.
Spread and Spin-offs
The breakout came with a /v/ thread on May 8 that drew 541 replies. An expanded template that let editors swap out both the attacker and the victim followed, and within days the format had moved to Facebook and Twitter. The Know Your Meme entry now holds 1,024 images and 12 videos, including compilations that string edits together for minutes at a time.
Other scenes from the same game were given the same treatment: Abby Bite Edits started on /v/ on June 17, 2020, and Lev Punch Edits used a shot of Lev throwing a punch. Coming in the middle of the leak and spoiler controversy, the edits were also a way of turning the leaked footage into a joke.
Usage
- Putting rival or feuding characters into one frame to show who beats whom
- As a reaction image for mocking a particular game, anime, or character in fan communities
- As a participatory format: grab the blank template and post your own edit
Because the source is a violent scene, swapping in real people can come across as offensive, so it is worth keeping that in mind.
Sources
- Know Your Meme, "Abby Choke Edits" — first /v/ thread on May 3, 2020, template request, first edit, the 541-reply thread on May 8, spread to Facebook and Twitter, spin-offs (Abby Bite Edits on June 17, Lev Punch Edits), image and video counts
- Know Your Meme, "Abby Choke Template" — the blank editing template
- Hypebeast, "'The Last of Us Part II' Receives New Confirmed Release Date" — the new June 19 release date announced right after the leak
