Introduction

The 'I Made a New Friend' meme originates from the 2001 film Donnie Darko, where the character Donnie discusses his imaginary friend, leading to a popular three-panel meme format.

Background

The phrase 'I Made a New Friend' references a scene in the film Donnie Darko, where the protagonist, Donnie, confides in his psychiatrist, Dr. Thurman, about his imaginary companion. This moment became a relatable expression for those who have made imaginary friends or are navigating social interactions.

How It Began

Donnie Darko premiered in the United States on October 26th, 2001. In a pivotal scene, Donnie reveals to Dr. Thurman that he has befriended Frank, a man in a bunny suit, who appears to him. When questioned about the nature of this friendship, Donnie confirms that Frank is indeed imaginary.

Meme Evolution

The meme began to gain traction on May 6th, 2015, when Tumblr user anamorphosis-and-isolate shared a three-panel image inspired by the film, achieving over 1,400 likes and reblogs over five years. On July 23rd, 2020, Facebook user Melissa Boykiw posted an Animal Crossing adaptation, replacing 'imaginary' with 'Animal Crossing villager,' which garnered significant engagement with over 11,000 reactions and 1,700 shares. The format gained even more visibility on August 17th, 2020, when the Amazon Prime Video Facebook page shared the meme, leading to over 258,000 reactions and 54,000 shares. This sparked a wave of variations, particularly on Facebook and Reddit, as users humorously altered the phrase for different contexts.