Today’s guest post is by Thomas Ford. 

Whether or not you’re a fan of golf, you’ve probably heard about the 2012 U.S. Open.

Not just because young underdog Webb Simpson beat fantastic odds and won the championship by one stroke, but because of the guy who interrupted his victory speech.

Just as the camera panned to a grinning Simpson cradling his silver trophy, a golf fan in a British flag knit cap stumbled into the screen and began warbling like a peacock in heat.

Drunk Bird Call, or “Birdman,” was an instant meme.

Only hours after it was posted online, memes began springing up across the web.

The screen shot of the cawing spectator clad in Union Jack cap and matching jacket was framed with a multitude of phrases, from “Watches U.S. Open Interview, Calls Birds” to “Wins U.S. Open Championship with Birdies.”

There’s even a t-shirt with a posterized image of the Birdman’s face for sale on the MTV website. The various videos of the event on YouTube alone add up to millions of views, and all of this happened in less than a week. (more…)