A Breakdown Of How The “Just A Chill Guy” Meme Lost All Chill With A Copyright Controversy

The internet is a wonderful place. As the youngest daughter, I am often tasked with explaining its eccentricities to my older siblings and their partners. They’ll come to me with whatever trend is plaguing them currently, whether it’s the term “slay,” the concept of “girl math,” or the sad baby hamster (that was a tough one). This time, I felt like my elder Millennial counterparts when faced with the cryptocization (yes, that’s a word now) of the “Just a Chill Guy” meme.

Don’t ask me why, but this entire drama gives me such Fyre Festival energy. How a derpy-looking dog became a movement, and how that movement fell into the clutches of capitalism and Finance Bros. Ugh, I can’t fucking wait for the six-part HBO documentary series. In the meantime, read my VERY CHILL explainer on the ‘Just a Chill Guy’ meme and Bitcoin controversy.

He’s just a chill guy, guys

I’ll be honest; it took me a few minutes to get this meme despite being unable to go to the bathroom without my phone. I thought perhaps it was men trying to excuse their poor behavior and brush it off, kind of like a response to the iconic ‘Women in Male Fields’ trend. But then it hit me: the Chill Guy is the male version of a Girlie!!! Everything that would have us twirling a lock of hair and whining, “But I’m just a girl!” is equivalent to their “Just a Chill Guy.” I feel like I’ve cracked the Da Vinci Code here. (Side note: did anyone stay awake for that whole movie? Asking for a friend).

The Chill Guy is about embracing life as it comes and just vibing as you go. He’s a bit derpy, he’s a bit simple, but he’s here for a good time. As Nicky Smokes wrote for Barstool Sports, “Men are the meme. The meme is men.” I’m happy the lads finally have something to battle male loneliness with.

Who created the Chill Guy?

Back in 2023, when the world was enjoying slightly simpler times, artist @PhillipBankss shared an image of a cartoon dog in 2023. It was a relaxed-looking humanoid dog with his hands in his pockets. To be honest, I feel like there’s an autobiographical element to this image. The photo mulled around on social media for a while, just being chill, before suddenly finding its viral peak in recent weeks. Sometimes, it do be like that.

The photo became popular on TikTok and Twitter (they’ll never make me call you X), with users adding text with their own ‘Chill Guy’ vibes. As expected, brands like Call of Duty also started using our doggie boy to promote stuff. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele even posted a picture of the Chill Guy on his official X account.

Then, the Crypto Bros found him, like they always do. Suddenly, CHILLGUY was a memecoin, which seems to be like a Bitcoin (sorry, I’m too much of a Chill Guy to know the difference). The token became popular, reaching a market capitalization of $580 million at one point. For context, that’s less rich than Taylor Swift but richer than Sabrina Carpenter. Users like Wallet 9zW have been earning thousands on the canine coin.

This is especially surprising as TikTok is known to be quite a crypto-naive platform compared to Twitter, so this suggests either TikTokers are moving towards cryptocurrency or Crypto Bros are heading to TikTok. I know which option I’d prefer.

Currently, there are millions worth of unrealized gains in CHILLGUY. Someone tell me how to Bitcoin, please.

Why is Chill Guy not so chill anymore?

Ironically, the man who birthed Chill Guy into the world (yes, birthed, don’t be such a misogynist) is now the least chill, and rightly so. On November 21st, the artist posted that he copyrighted the meme character “Chill Guy” and will issue takedowns on for-profit usages in the coming days.

The artist further specified that he doesn’t care about users and brands using the character for fun, but he’s going after “unauthorized merchandise and shitcoins.” So if you just posted a fun little TikTok about how you don’t put the toilet seat down because you’re a chill guy, don’t shit yourself just yet. The artist had clarified on November 18th that he neither endorsed nor consented to his art being used in “crypto.”

Obviously, I’m no expert, but the Crypto Bros seem to think Chill Guy doesn’t have much of a case. Users on Twitter claim it’s impossible to go after tokens, as they’re launched anonymously and decentralized. Also, since the crypto token is now immortalized on the blockchain, it will never truly leave. Just like all those Facebook albums you posted after a night out. But perhaps the artist will have more luck with the merchandise, as you can now buy “Just A Chill Guy” mugs and t-shirts just about anywhere.

As a fellow artiste, I truly feel for PhillipBankss and hope he gets his bank with “Just a Chill Guy.” In the meantime, we can enjoy these excellent memes, which he deems not to be part of the problem.