Florida has long been known as a place that produces bizarre news stories. And now the Sunshine State is getting its very own limited series on Netflix — Florida Man.
The show promises to dive deeper into the meme than ever before. But what exactly is the source of its popularity?
What is the Florida Man Meme?
The Florida Man meme was born in February 2013 over a series of lurid news headlines featuring a mysterious and mischievous Florida man. It gained popularity over the course of the next few years, largely thanks to the internet. The Twitter account @_FloridaMan collected these lurid stories and made them seem like they were all the actions of one prolific man, jokingly calling him the world’s worst superhero. The meme also spread to subreddits and Tumblrs. Individuals would Google their own birthdays followed by “Florida Man,” to see if they were the subject of a weird news story.
Donald Todd’s new limited series on Netflix, Florida Man, stars Edgar Ramirez as a doomed ex-cop who just can’t stay away from his home state. The series aims to build a reality that matches the flamboyant stereotypes of the original Florida Man meme. Stream it now on Netflix.
Why is the Florida Man Meme so popular?
The Florida Man meme is popular because people can relate to the bizarre stories coming out of the Sunshine State. People all over the country read these headlines and laugh at them but there is a darker element that sometimes lies underneath. From a Florida man punching pizza delivery men for forgetting garlic nuts to a Florida man being arrested for fixing cars with Play-Doh, there is something about the weirdness of these stories that captures the attention of the nation.
These stories have even inspired a new limited series on Netflix. Created by Donald Todd (This Is Us), the show stars Edgar Ramirez as Mike Valentine, a struggling ex-cop who returns to Florida after a mobster sends him to help find his missing girlfriend.
The show follows Mike through a series of events that sound like they came out of the Florida Man headlines. Although the show does not borrow any single event from the internet meme, the show is still a hilarious look into the strange happenings in Florida.
What is the Florida Man Meme’s origin story?
The Florida Man meme emerged from a Twitter account that posted jokingly strange or bizarre news headlines about people in the state of Florida. The Twitter account was eventually shut down, but the meme continued to grow through other means such as social media and YouTube. The popularity of the meme has helped to shape Florida’s reputation as a quirky, unique place filled with unusual citizens.
One of the most popular Florida Man headlines involved a man who got stuck inside a port-a-potty. The story went viral after it was reported that the man had been drinking alcohol before getting trapped in the stall.
The new Netflix limited series, Florida Man, stars Edgar Ramirez as a cop who is constantly getting into trouble in his home state of Florida. While the show may share a name with a meme, Ramirez says it is not making fun of Florida or its residents. Instead, the show aims to tell the stories behind the headlines.
What is the Florida Man Meme’s future?
Florida Man has long dominated the internet, with lurid headlines involving alligators, fast food, and even a bulldozer crushing a portable toilet. The meme has also inspired a whole host of challengers. Some of these are purely lurid and satirical, while others are more serious.
This year, the Sunshine State is in the limelight for a different reason: Gov. Ron DeSantis. He’s embraced the kitchy Florida Man shtick and used it as a political weapon.
Final Words:
This month, a new limited series on Netflix called Florida Man premiered. It stars Edgar Ramirez as Mike Valentine, an ex-cop who hates Florida and does everything to avoid going back. But when he returns to track down a mob boss’s runaway girlfriend, things go awry. The show draws inspiration from the Florida Man meme and depicts a real-life version of the state where strange events occur frequently.