A bait-and-switch meme is a meme that involves tricking the viewer into viewing a link or file and making them see or watch a specific thing. Famous examples of this meme include the Rickroll, the Duckroll, the Stickbug, and Trololo.
Origin[]
The name and the original concept of the term online was used to describe fraud in retail sales and commercial culture. The oldest text mentioning the use of this technique comes from Zhang Yingyu's "The Book of Swindles", a Chinese book of stories of fraud, that was released in 1617.
One of the earliest and most well-known uses of this technique online is the viral video Ghost Car, which was released in 2005. The video features what seems to be a normal commercial of a car riding down a hill, when suddenly a monster appears on screen screaming. The video was posted by user mrsmithereen, and has garnered 37.5 million views in roughly 15 and a half years.
Notable Examples[]
Easily the most famous use of this technique, the Rickroll originated shortly after in 2006 and has become one of the most famous use of this technique to dupe viewers. It involves posting a hyperlink that leads to a video, piece of audio or file of Rick Astley singing the song "Never Gonna Give You Up". The most frequently used link is the one that leads to the original YouTube video of the song, which has gained 926 million views in roughly 11 years. YouTuber Erik Heldwig, better known as Hot Dad, claims to have created the meme when he prank-called a Michigan radio-station after a sports game and played the song over the phone in August 31st, 2006.
Duckrolling is a bait-and-switch meme and is the predecessor to Rickrolling. It involves putting a hyperlink to a video or file that leads to a picture or video of a duck on roller wheels. It originated on 4chan and spread to other sites.
Trololo Guy is another example of this meme. It involves posting a link to a video of Eduard Khil(also known as Edward Khill or Edward Hill) singing the song "I Am So Happy To Be Finally Back At Home".
Links[]
References[]
All the information provided in this page is from Know Your Meme.