Internet meme · Classic

Press F to pay respects

An Internet meme that originated from a Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare in-game prompt to press a button during a funeral scene, later used to convey solidarity or sympathy online.

First seen
Last seen
Uses cited
3
Revision
2

Where it started

"Press F to pay respects" is an Internet meme that originated from Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, a 2014 first-person shooter in Activision's Call of Duty franchise. It originated as a set of instructions conveyed during an in-game quick time event at a funeral service. Widely mocked by critics and players due to the view of its forced element of interactivity that was not perceived to be tastefully executed, the phrase would later become a notable Internet meme in its own right. It is sometimes used by Internet commenters to convey solidarity and sympathy, either sarcastic or sincere, in response to unfortunate events.

The use timeline

  1. A prompt for the player to press a button on the PC version of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, where the player character would approach the coffin of a fallen comrade in response. The mechanic is repeatedly criticized and ridiculed for both being arbitrary and unnecessary, uninteresting gameplay, as well as being inappropriate to the tone of the funeral the game otherwise intends to convey. The phrase has since become an Internet meme in its own right, sometimes used unironically: during the tribute stream for the Jacksonville Landing shooting, viewers posted a single letter "F" in the chat.

  2. Wikidata Q68926227: Press F to Pay Respects — Internet meme. First recorded: 2014-11-00T00:00:00Z.

Examples

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