this post was submitted on 22 Jun 2025
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I've seen a lot of memes/jokes related to moths looking for lamps. Why does the community love these memes? What's the point?

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[–] cyrano@lemmy.dbzer0.com 60 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Like beans, jeans, and the rest…seasonal meme.

On what is the point:

[–] neidu3@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Too bad "Orbs" doesn't rhyme.

[–] GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago

I forgot about the orbs. Maybe I'm less of a wizard type and more of a lamp type than I thought.

[–] maniacalmanicmania@aussie.zone 32 points 1 week ago

Memes come and go, moths are forever.

[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 24 points 1 week ago

One person decided to create a trend by switching on the lamp and the next thing we know it's full of moth.

[–] RedEyeFlightControl@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Lemmy gets a meme then beats it to death in 24 hours.

[–] GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I prefer to think of merging it into the gestalt.

[–] Semjaza@lemmynsfw.com 18 points 1 week ago
[–] wise_pancake@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 week ago

I like moth

[–] toomanypancakes@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Just be glad it's not jeans again

[–] PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Lamps are electrical sources of artificial light. Moths are insects which exhibit positive phototaxis, i.e. an inherent attraction towards light sources. So the memes riff on how moths are naturally attracted to light.

Now why talk about moths? I don't know, but I think they're kinda neat, and that's enough for me.

[–] Sergio@slrpnk.net 13 points 1 week ago

why talk about moths?

If an extinction-level event happens soon and all this info is stored in an EMP-proof bunker somewhere, future alien historians will say that the moths and the lamps represented how helpless we felt in the face of our certain demise.

[–] starlinguk@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They're attracted to electric light, which kills them. They're not attracted to gaslight, which is one of the reasons people are protesting the replacement of gas lighting in Berlin.

They're not attracted to gaslight

Is this true? I remember using gas lights while camping in the 90s, they definitely attracted bugs, but I can't remember if moths were specifically. Where I live now moths would be the primary issue and we have a bunch of old gas lamps. Maybe I should use them. Except for the pollution and other bug death.

[–] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 1 week ago

At this point I'm referring to all Lemmy meme storms as beans.

Not poopin'? That's a bean.
Moths? That's a bean.
Beans? Oh you better believe that's a bean.

[–] pipe01@programming.dev 7 points 1 week ago

It's literally a single guy

[–] BenLeMan@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

'tis the season, I guess?

[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

The Moth don't care if The Flame is real, 'Cause Flame and Moth got a sweetheart deal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG8l2ArHzDo

[–] RodgeGrabTheCat@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Good question. Best to ask those posting the moth memes. Otherwise, we are just going to be guessing.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You'd think this was the entire point of the post... 🤷‍♂️🤌

Well, it's easy to find the users with a moth fetish.

[–] 9point6@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

I'm kinda hoping the community backlash is just outposting the memes with other content, then everyone wins as Lemmy gets an activity spike

[–] Gexilla@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 week ago

I guess everyone likes live storytelling events!

Fr “The Moth” is a pretty decent regular podcast/event series.