Introduction

The 'It's Always Morally Correct' meme template, also known as 'It's Never Racist', humorously suggests that certain actions are justifiable and never morally wrong.

Background

The meme series asserts that one can always perform a specific action since it's never deemed racist or morally incorrect. The design is derived from the cover art of André Cymone's 1982 album 'Livin' in the New Wave', which illustrates Cymone in a virtual reality setting, projecting a beam of energy from his hands.

How It Began

André Cymone, an American bassist, launched his debut album 'Livin' in the New Wave' in 1982. The album's cover features Cymone appearing to generate a ray of energy between his hands, which became the basis for a popular meme. On April 3, 2018, Twitter user @NewSovietPoster shared an image macro that merged the front and back cover art, captioned 'You can always do an Italian accent, it's never racist.' This tweet gained significant engagement, accumulating over 1,500 retweets and 8,900 likes over four years.

Meme Evolution

The meme gained traction online following its initial post, with various social media platforms seeing reposts. On February 10, 2019, Instagram meme page decolonial.meme.queens shared the first derivative of the meme, receiving over 7,400 likes. Subsequent recaptions, including one stating 'you can always make fun of white people', also went viral. The format saw renewed popularity in late 2020 and early 2021, particularly after the announcement of Chris Pratt's casting as Mario, which inspired many derivative memes. By late 2021, the 'It's always morally correct' version became especially prevalent on Twitter.