Quandale Dingle is the name of a high school football player who’s become a surprising sensation in the digital realm. While the memes circulating aren't directly about him, his name has taken on a life of its own, morphing into a humorous phenomenon.
In this deep dive, we go beyond the funny forwards and discover who Quandale Dingle is and why his name points to the more profound — and sometimes more absurd — propensity of the internet to bank on someone’s name.
Origins of Quandale Dingle
Quandale Dingle was a senior football player for the Pennsauken Indians Football team in New Jersey. He can be seen on this YouTube clip posted by QBC TV of a game last November 12, 2021. It was a game against Millville Thunderbolts, and Dingle was wearing number 25.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/live/XKA_AajH5WU[/embed]
The earliest reference to the footballer’s name in a meme was on September 13, 2021, when TikToker @asapfeet posted a video of a computer login screen for a user named Quandale Dingle. The in-image copy on the screenshot reads, “Who tf goofy ahh name is this bruh.” The post has logged 23,000 views and 4,627 likes.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@asapfeet/video/7007416744230882566?_r=1&_t=8r5B7Ks9jdK[/embed]
Quandale Dingle Spreads Online
Quandale Dingle initially went viral through reposts. On September 14, 2021, @slashafilm, now @bIaids, posted a screenshot of the login screen on X.
Image credits: @bIaids
Then, user @supremecheetos reposted the meme on Instagram on September 14, 2021, and got 2,722 likes.
Image credits: @supremecheetos
The same meme was reposted on September 15, 2021, on the Facebook meme page Memes to satisfy the sophisticated gentleman, and it gained over 1,000 shares and around 1,900 reactions.
Image credits: Memes to satisfy the sophisticated gentleman
On September 19, 2021, Instagram user @memixes reposted a compilation of memes captured from the private TikTok account @remsoios that begins with the login image, gaining over 33,465 views.
The Evolution of the Quandale Dingle Meme
After initial reposts, other creators continued referencing the name and how ridiculous it sounded, creating an online identity for Quandle Dingle.
On September 24, 2021, user @pastor.flacc put the name under an image of a funny-looking dog on Instagram. The post has gained 2,776 likes.
Image credits: @pastor.flacc
On September 27, 2021, Instagrammer highlighted another goofy name, “Aidan Dookie,” in a screen picture. In his caption, he referenced Dingle with a nod to one of the goofy names. The post got 3,397 likes.
Image credits: @ecco2ksdirtytoiletwater
On December 21, 2021, user M3meGoblin uploaded an image on iFunny that identified a black man as Dingle as part of a meme joke.
Image credits: M3meGoblin
The same image was reposted on Instagram by @daddy_chungles on February 4, 2022. The post has received 9,088 likes.
Image credits: @daddy_chungles
More unique iterations of Dingle’s name started to emerge, with creators’ distorted images of people to represent Quandale Dingle. For instance, Redittor Skydoi posted a restoration meme, reimagining Dingle as rapper NBA Youngboy.
Image credits: skydoi
More creators followed this route, like bagel dude, who uploaded a distorted image on @epicbagelTikTok on X on February 24, 2022.
Image credits: @epicbagelTikTok
Meanwhile, parody RapTV posts reimagining Dingle, highlighting him in fake news stories.
On February 15, 2022, TikTok @obitra posted a meme video editing a news clip of Dingle and gained over 402,500 views.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@obitra/video/7064787093960002862?_r=1&_t=8r8RhiVNJyx[/embed]
On February 16, 2022, @orbitra made two of these edits, using an image of rapper NBA Youngboy in an edited news slip. The post gained 2,790 views and 34,200 views, respectively.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@obitra/video/7064980665854463278?_r=1&_t=8r8S3AVRmuW[/embed]
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@obitra/video/7065099071282793775?_r=1&_t=8r8SEbJGC1K[/embed]
On X, user @silyputer uploaded a parody news headline about Dingle being spotted. The post was uploaded on February 26, 2022.
Image credits: @sillyputer
Around March 2022, TikToker @ticklemytipp posted a video on TikTok compiling absurd meme clips and speaking as Quandale Dingle, saying, “What’s up guys, it's Quandale Dingle here.”
The video and voiceover mashups were confessions of being arrested for multiple crimes, like declaring war in Italy, grand theft auto, battery of a police officer, public indecency, and various other disturbing crimes. The voiceover added that he would be escaping prison on March 28. After which, he would take over the world.
TikTok has since deleted the clips. According to TikTok’s support page, it enforces bans and pulls out content from the platform when content is found to promote violence, hate, and misinformation. With the fake news clip on the voiceover, the user claimed that the clip was pulled out on TikTok within 30 minutes of its posting.
This, however, didn’t stop other creators from reposting the audio on different platforms in an attempt to circumvent the censorship, like this post on YouTube on April 11, 2022, by user @hillaryshoebottom entitled “full quandale dingle lore.” The post has amassed 17.6 million views and 425,000 likes.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YHM768tt0c[/embed]
The Absurdity of Quandale Dingle
Creators like @orbitra and @hillaryshoebottom have pushed Quandale Dingle and successfully evaded TikTok’s restrictions, further supporting the spread of Quandale Dingle name memes.
Unlike other memes with a pretty fixed format, evident in its various visual iterations, the Quandale Dingle meme is unique because its multiple versions are very different — from stills to distorted images to voiceovers. The one thing these memes had in common was the striking name, and creators banked upon it for millions of curious viewers.
The internet responded by trying to find out Dingle’s real identity, and users also jumped on that hype with clips and content showcasing Dingle as a genuine person.
YouTube channel @BeforeTheyWereFamous posted highlights of how the Quandale meme gained its legs on the internet. It was largely thanks to creators who reimagined the name in its amplified absurdity. The short has received 498,000 likes.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Qohtthh84GY[/embed]
The clip mentions TikToker @fitnesscf, who claimed to chronicle the real Quandale Dingle. While no proof exists that his coverage and clips are real, his posts still gained interest. However, his videos have been removed from the platform.
Another TikToker, @atmworldwideyt, posted a video on June 18, 2022, allegedly from Quandale Dingle’s high school graduation ceremony. In the video, you hear a voiceover announcing Quandale’s name. Then, Quandale walks on stage to applause as he accepts his diploma. The video has gained over 3.1 million views and 441,900 likes. It has now since been removed.
The Power of a Unique Name
Quandale Dingle certainly stands out, not just because of his unforgettable name but also because of the hilarious memes that have emerged around him. He perfectly embodies today’s cultural trend of celebrating unique names that catch our attention and spark our creativity.
In a study on name trends by researcher Jean Twenge (Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2010), culture has become more individualistic, and parents have favored giving children names that help them stand out (1).
Meanwhile, the BBC suggests that parents can give their kids names that they love, but they should also be aware that people in society will treat them differently based on these names (2).
The Quandale Dingle meme grew most when name taunts evolved into exaggerated fake news clips and audio. This increased interest follows the same phenomena as sensational journalism.
Sensationalism is a tactic to gain an audience’s attention — or, in this case, added views or engagement (Reporter) (3).
The Quandale Dingle meme experienced many iterations as creators used his unique name as a launching point for their content. By adding sensational elements, they sparked curiosity and increased its spread.
The nuances of cross-platform sharing encourage creators to remix content, either to evade censorship — like in the case of the Quandale RapTv news clips — or simply to engage a different audience.
References
- Jean Twenge et al. “Fitting In or Standing Out: Trends in American Parents’ Choices for Children’s Names, 1880–2007.” Social Psychological and Personality Science, January 2010. | https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550609349515
- Tiffanie Wen. “Why millennials are choosing strange baby names.” BBC, December 21, 2016. | https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20161221-why-millennials-are-choosing-strange-baby-names
- Rylan Vanacore. “Sensationalism in Media.” Reporter, November 12, 2021. | https://reporter.rit.edu/news/sensationalism-media