@badluckbrian via foundation.app
Zoe Roth is 21 and gearing up to graduate from university. Sixteen years ago she was standing in front of a burning building in North Carolina when her dad, an amateur photographer, snapped a picture that would take on a whole life of its own.
The pre-schooler’s sinister expression in the face of apparent disaster made for perfect meme material; soon it was appearing on messageboards and forums, and eventually named Disaster Girl by Know Your Meme. It took on new significance in 2020 – a year defined by its own steady surge of terrible events. “It s the perfect meme for 2020,” says Roth. “Because 2020 was like a dumpster fire.” But soon, Roth hopes, the meme will be paying off her student loans.