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Copium is used in Twitch chat and Reddit quite frequently and its usage spiked following the recently concluded US elections. The earliest known use of the word Copium dates back to 2003 when Keak da Sneak released the album "Copium" in the US. On social media platforms and forums, the first use of the word was recorded in 2018 with an anonymous 4chan user using the word in the /int/ board. Copium got adopted into Twitch chat when Twitch user COUNCIL uploaded it as a FrankerFaceZ emote. While it is not a popularly used emote, its significance in Twitch chat is quite interesting.
What is the Meaning of Copium in Twitch Chat?
Copium in Twitch chat is a portmanteau word. Whenever two words are combined to form a new word, it is known as a portmanteau word. One of the most commonly used portmanteau words used by us is “brunch” which is a combination of breakfast and lunch.
Copium is a combination of Cope (creating a psychological defense of a lighter belief to deal with a harsh truth) and Opium (a Drug). Copium in Twitch chat refers to the use of this fictional drug to cope with loss or failure on stream. Generally, it is depicted using a Pepe the Frog meme that shows the character hooked to a Copium tank.
Where Did Copium Become Popular on Twitch Chat?
Copium’s Twitch chat presence is not too relevant but it is a commonly used word on Reddit and other social media platforms. On the subreddit r/the_meltdown was one of the subreddits that popularized the word. The subreddit was created in 2016 to make fun of left-leaning internet users who were upset at Donald Trump winning.
The word originated on 4chan and it started being used heavily by right-leaning users on Reddit and other social media platforms including Twitch on Twitch. Before the mail-in votes were counted for the most recent US presidential election, it looked like Donald Trump was set to win again but Joe Biden pulled off a victory. Copium was being used heavily in some emotes where the original emote/meme was edited to show Pepe The Frog wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ cap.
One of the most recent definitions of Copium was posted by Urban Dictionary user enterprise1701 who defined the term as "a metaphorical opiate inhaled when faced with loss, failure or defeat, especially in sports, politics and other tribal settings." Copium on Twitch chat is not that popular but it is definitely meme with a lot of history behind it and it is used in a more political context since 2016. It has been a popularly shared meme in the last two US presidential elections.
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