Theodore Kaczynski / Unabomber

About

Theodore John Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, is a terrorist known for his primitivist ideology, authorship of the essay Industrial Society and Its Future, also known as the Unabomber Manifesto, and the bombings of several individuals associated with the democratization of modern technology between 1978 and 1995. His influence and placement in memes rose along with other meme trends such as Man-Made Horrors, schizoposting and Return To Monke, particularly in 2020 and 2021. In June 2023, Kaczynski died in his prison cell at the age of 81, leading to a slew of memes in the weeks that followed.

History

Formerly a mathematics professor, Kaczynski chose to abandon his career in 1969 in favor of a more primitive lifestyle, living in a cabin surrounded by nature with no running water or electricity. Witnessing the devastation of the wildlife around him, Kaczynski began to respond with acts of sabotage and later on domestic terrorism. This resulted in him being the target of a case opened by the Federal Bureau of Investigation titled "University and Airline Bomber," later shortened to "UNABOMB," which earned him the nickname "Unabomber."

Beginning in 1978 and ending in 1995, Kaczynski killed three people and injured 23 others in a bombing campaign in the U.S. against people he believed were advancing modern technology and the destruction of the environment. In 1995, Kaczynski wrote an essay that was titled Industrial Society and Its Future and promised to end his terrorism once it was published, which was later done by The Washington Post.^[1] The essay detailed his opposition to aspects of modern life, such as technology and how he felt the Industrial Revolution had extremely negative effects on humanity's progression. This essay would later become known as the Unabomber Manifesto.

Online Presence

In the years since his arrest, Kaczynski has been referenced in numerous memes in a variety of ways, usually in reference to his beliefs and the Unabomber Manifesto. This manifesto is sometimes used in memes by those who claim it makes sense and is good, whether genuinely or sarcastically, as seen in a meme posted to the /r/okbuddyretard subreddit by Redditor^[2] Skig415 on April 20th, 2020 (shown below).

Due to his beliefs and lifestyle prior to his imprisonment living in a secluded area without electricity or tap water, Theodore Kaczynski became a notorious figure online regarding Anarcho-Primitivism. The main ideology behind Anarcho-Primitivism is to reject modernity, be self-sufficient living off the land and be against society. An example of an Anarcho-Primitivism meme incorporating Kaczynski was posted to the subreddit /r/ComedyNecrophilia by Redditor^[3] OwO, Hi Mark on October 31st, 2020, attaining 11,000 upvotes in six months (shown below).

Because of his known history of letter bombings, users began to create image macros of characters dealing with packages sent by Kaczynski. These can be any type of letter or package and usually features the character reading out Ted's name as the sender. An example of this was uploaded to the /r/okbuddyretard subreddit on February 26th, 2020, by Redditor^[4] Shadow823513, gaining 11,000 upvotes in six months (shown below).

Death

On June 10th, 2023, it was confirmed that he was found dead in his prison cell at the age of 81. His death, when reported on social media, inspired a fresh wave of posters saddened by his death but also attempting to spread his message of turning away from mass media and internet culture, leading to many schizo threads, as well as people idolizing him.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References