Seeking Badgers For Mushroom Foraging: A Guide

Badger, badger, badger, or The Badger Song, is an internet meme from the mid-2000s. Created by British animator Jonti (or Johnathon) Picking, it features dancing badgers, a mushroom, and a snake. The meme is remembered for its randomness, and for many, it encapsulates a specific era of the internet before social media and one-click purchases.

'Badger Badger Badger' by Jonti Picking

"Badger Badger Badger", also known as "The Badger Song", is an animated meme created by British animator Jonti Picking, also known as Mr Weebl. It was released on 2 September 2003 and became extremely popular, with various adaptations and parodies being made since. The animation features twelve cartoon badgers doing callisthenics, a mushroom in front of a tree, and a snake in the desert. The badgers dance in sync to a bass line, over which a voiceover sings the names of the objects on the screen: "badger", "mushroom", "snake".

The song has been described as "bizarre electronic dance music" and is set to a looping GIF, which was later put into video format. It is written in the key of B Major, which is a common choice for popular songs. The simplicity of the song and animation has been noted, with the song having below-average scores in chord complexity, melodic complexity, and chord-melody tension. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the song and its accompanying animation became a viral hit, with over 900,000 views as of August 2010.

The inspiration for "The Badger Song" came from the song "Saturday Night" by Whigfield, which features a duck quacking throughout. Picking wanted to add an "annoying squeak sound" to the background of "The Badger Song", and the lyrics were originally meant to be a placeholder. However, they ended up becoming the actual thing, much like "The Riddle" by Nik Kershaw. The song has been adapted and referenced numerous times, including a dubstep version called "Guess I Got My Badger Back", a 3D version, and a version launched on the Moshi Monsters website.

"Badger Badger Badger" has had a lasting impact on internet culture, with PC World listing it as one of the top five internet fads of all time in 2009. It has spawned several follow-ups and parodies, including "Badgers 2", which features zombie badgers, and a Christmas-themed version with the badgers dressed in Santa Claus suits. The animation has also been digitally edited into other scenes, such as in "Badgers on a Plane", which includes badgers and a mushroom tumbling from their seats in a scene from the "Snakes on a Plane" trailer. The song and animation have become so iconic that they have even been referenced in comic strips and have inspired parodies based on other franchises, such as Harry Potter.

The song's inspiration

"How many badgers before the mushroom?" is a line from the viral song and animated meme "Badger Badger Badger", also known as "The Badger Song". The song was created by British animator Jonti Picking, also known as Mr Weebl, and was released on 2 September 2003. The animation features twelve cartoon badgers doing callisthenics, a mushroom in front of a tree, and a snake in the desert. The lyrics consist of the words "badger" and "mushroom" repeated several times, followed by "snake".

The specific inspiration for the lyrics and imagery of "Badger Badger Badger" has been attributed to various sources. Some have suggested that the song is meant to be interpreted as an inside joke or a meme, representative of the random humour popular on the internet at the time. The badger, mushroom, and snake could be seen as surreal and nonsensical elements that contribute to the lighthearted and whimsical nature of the song.

In an interview, Picking described the early days of internet virality, when there was no YouTube or Reddit, and people discovered and shared content on various websites. He recalled that viral clips were considered "social ammunition", something to impress friends and boost social standing. This competitive aspect of sharing online content may have influenced the creation of "Badger Badger Badger", as animators sought to craft catchy and memorable songs and animations.

Additionally, Picking cited the song "Saturday Night" by Whigfield as an influence on "The Badger Song". He explained that the placeholder lyrics, similar to Nik Kershaw's "The Riddle", ended up becoming the actual lyrics. The song's simplicity and quirkiness, combined with its catchy bassline, contributed to its popularity and longevity.

The song's impact extended beyond its initial virality, with various parodies and spin-offs being created, such as "Potter Potter Potter" and "Badgers on a Plane". "Badger Badger Badger" has become a cultural touchstone, evoking nostalgia for the early days of internet humour and the unique online landscape of the mid-2000s.

The Badger Song's virality

"The Badger Song", also known as "Badger Badger Badger", is an animated meme by British animator Jonti Picking (Mr Weebl) that went viral in the early-mid 2000s. The cartoon features twelve animated badgers doing callisthenics, a mushroom, and a snake, with a looping bassline and a voiceover singing the names of the objects on the screen.

The song was posted on B3ta.com on 2 September 2003, and its virality can be attributed to the early internet era of the mid-2000s, which was a "sweet spot" for online engagement. The internet was more "spread out", with numerous sites having their own audiences and content to share. Viral clips were considered "social ammunition", shared with friends and peers to boost one's social standing. This was also a time before the widespread presence of social media and corporate involvement in online platforms, allowing for more anonymity, freedom of expression, and tightly-knit online communities.

"The Badger Song" was particularly popular on humour websites like Albino Blacksheep and Newgrounds, which experienced a huge spike in popularity during this time. The song's simplicity, absurd humour, and catchiness contributed to its virality, with its looping nature and inane lyrics making it easy to remember and share. The song also inspired numerous parodies and follow-ups, including "Badgers 2", "Badgers on a Plane", and "Big Ass Badgers", further extending its reach and impact on internet culture.

The song's influence extended beyond the internet as well. It was referenced in the January 2004 comic strips of JD Fraser's "User Friendly", and it launched the career of its creator, Jonti Picking, who went on to receive numerous awards and nominations for his subsequent work. "The Badger Song" and its associated memes are remembered fondly by many who experienced the early days of the internet, representing a unique era of online humour and engagement.

The Badger Song's parodies

"Badger Badger Badger", also known as "The Badger Song", is an internet meme from the mid-2000s that has spawned a number of parodies and follow-ups. The original animation, created by British animator Jonti Picking (Mr Weebl), features twelve cartoon badgers doing callisthenics, a mushroom, and a snake, with a voiceover singing the names of the objects on the screen. The song's lyrics are as follows:

> "Badger, badger, badger / Badger, badger, badger / Badger, badger, badger / Badger, badger, badger / Mushroom, mushroom / Snaaaaake, snaaaaaaake."

One of the well-known parodies of "The Badger Song" is "Potter Potter Potter" by Fifth District, which replaces the badgers, mushroom, and snake with characters and elements from the Harry Potter series. The chant in this parody includes the names of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Severus Snape, with appropriate visuals in the background.

Another parody, titled "Guess I Got My Badger Back", is a dubstep version based on "Swagga" by Excision & Datsik. This version also had a 3D iteration released in 2011. Additionally, a version of the song was launched on the Moshi Monsters website, where the characters sing "Moshi Moshi" instead of the original lyrics.

There have also been several follow-ups to the original "Badger Badger Badger" animation, including "Badgers 2" (2003), which features zombie badgers, and a Christmas-themed version (2004) with the badgers dressed as Santa Claus. "Badgers on a Plane" (2007) is another follow-up that digitally edits badgers and a mushroom into a scene from the "Snakes on a Plane" trailer.

The success of "The Badger Song" and its parodies can be attributed to the early-to-mid 2000s internet landscape, which was described as "spread out" by Picking. There was no YouTube or Reddit, and people discovered content on various websites with their own audiences. Viral clips were shared offline to gain social standing, and animators had more opportunities to connect with their audiences through forums.

The era of the internet when the song was released

The song "Badger Badger Badger", also known as "The Badger Song", was released in 2003. At the time, the internet was quite different from what it is today. While the web had already become a part of everyday life for younger generations, it was still a relatively new concept for older individuals. Social media and one-click purchases were not yet prevalent, and internet users enjoyed more anonymity.

The early to mid-2000s have been described as a "sweet spot" for online engagement, with a mix of the old "Wild West" internet and emerging video and social media platforms. Websites like Albino Blacksheep and Newgrounds experienced a spike in popularity, with people flocking to watch rudimentary flash animations that were often absurd and sometimes offensive. This was an era of "random" humour, with viral videos embracing nonsensical and surreal content.

The "Badger Song" was one such example, featuring animated badgers doing callisthenics, a mushroom, and a snake. It was created by British animator Jonti Picking, also known as Mr Weebl, and went live on B3ta.com on 2 September 2003. The song became a meme, with various parodies and follow-ups, such as "Badgers 2" in 2003 and "Big Ass Badgers" in 2007.

This era of the internet was characterised by a more decentralised landscape, without the dominance of platforms like YouTube and Reddit. People discovered and shared content across various websites, and viral clips served as "social ammunition", enhancing one's social standing among friends. The animator Picking recalled that this period offered a unique opportunity for creators to connect with their audiences and experiment with their craft.

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