When does something become a meme? How does one define that moment when a bunch of varied individuals all contribute to the same idea but in different platforms? These are the deep questions raised by the appearance of a screaming sun from Rick And Morty making its way into other forms of media. To provide some context, in the season two finale, “The Wedding Squanchers,” Rick Sanchez and his family are looking for a new planet to inhabit. They come upon one that seems hospitable to their needs, when suddenly the sun rises and reveals that is simply not the case.
This horrible, possibly-in-agony sun has transcended its mere Adult Swim origins and, thanks to many ardent fans, has found its way into other films, TV shows, music videos, and even a video game.
First, is YouTube user Bill Totes and his entry using the Teletubbies’ usually cuddly sun-baby thing and supplanting it with this screaming monstrosity:
Then there’s Roadcrosser, who switches up mediums by putting the primal howling of the sentient sun into an otherwise serene landscape in Super Mario Bros. 3. Who knew 45 seconds of listening to a horrible scream could feel like an eternity?
Next is MrKumquats and his video that incorporates that awkward yawping sun into the background of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” music video:
Coming into the homestretch, there’s Roadcrosser again, this time putting not one but two screaming suns into this iconic scene from Star Wars:
And lastly (for now) is NoodleLu’s melodic treatment that injects the indescribable pain of a celestial being into the otherwise peaceful scene from the opening of The Lion King, and finds a subtle harmony between the sound of the sun and the beginnings of “The Circle Of Life”:
So then is this a thing now? Do five videos a meme make? Who can say? All that can be said is that, even though they are all short clips, that’s a lot of listening to the God-awful caterwauling of what appears to be a sun in the throes of existential dread.