The Cake is a lie
The cake is a lie is an Internet meme that grew popular from its appearance in the 2007 video game Portal, and is often used to convey the message that a promised gift is being used to motivate without any intent of delivering.
Origin[edit]
The cake is a lie originally appeared in the 2007 video game Portal.[1] It can be found scribbled in hidden cubby holes throughout the test chambers that players must complete, with the phrase written multiple times by previous test subjects before Chell, the player's character. It is in reference to the fact that a voice that guides players through the chambers, GLaDOS, promises cake as a reward if they accomplish all of the test chambers. However, GLaDOS turns out to be murderous, and the previous test subjects left the message as a warning. It became an Internet phenomenon, along with the Weighted Companion Cube and "Still Alive", two other elements from Portal, and was frequently quoted across the Internet.[2]
About[edit]
The Cake is a Lie is a catchphrase popularized by the game Portal, and is often used to convey the message that a promised gift is being used to motivate without any intent of delivering.[1]
History[edit]
The term "The cake is a lie" was featured on a sticker posted at an anti-Scientology demonstration in front of the London Scientology Office.[3]
A reference was made to Portal after the players collect all of the cakes in the video game 'Splosion Man, which is rewarded by an achievement called "Not a Portal reference".[4]
Reception[edit]
IGN editor Jimmy Thang stated that the "thinking outside the box" approach of scribbling "the cake is a lie" on walls evolved the narrative of Portal.[5] MTV.com editor Stephen Totillo attributed part of Portal's widespread praise to "the cake is a lie", along with its theme song, "Still Alive", and the Weighted Companion Cube.[6] Ars Technica editor Johnathan Neuis commented that "the cake is a lie" was one of the strongest inside joke in gaming since All your base are belong to us.[7] "The cake is a lie" has been seen on several pieces of apparel, both official and unofficial.[8][9][10] Escapist Magazine editor Ben Croshaw criticized the overusage of Internet memes, specifically mentioning the usage of a "the cake is a lie" reference in 'Splosion Man. He criticized people who use Internet memes to give themselves a personality, adding that "the cake is a lie" wasn't even the funniest thing in Portal.[4] GamesRadar ranked it as one of the most repeated video game quotes.[11] A comic strip in the VG Cats webcomic depicts the fictional video game character Mario being told by a character called Princess Peach that she would bake a cake for him at her castle; the end of the comic depicts Mario's corpse lying next to writing on the wall saying "The cake is a lie".[12] In a interview with Gamasutra, Portal writer Erik Wolpaw expressed no interest in using the cake trope in Portal 2 and said If you thought you were sick of the memes, I was sick of it way ahead of you," said Wolpaw, who was the primary writer on Portal and one of two writing leads on its upcoming sequel, which was demonstrated this week at the E3 Expo. For instance, cake, he added. I've had enough cake jokes.[13] Although, Valve assurances was to abandoned the meme.[14]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Davenport, James (October 10, 2017). "'The cake is a lie'—the life and death of Portal's best baked meme".
- ↑ "For Those Who Were Expecting Or Fearing A Cake Joke In Portal 2..." Kotaku Australia. April 19, 2011.
- ↑ Gillen, Kieron (March 19, 2008). "Don't mind them. They're from the Internet".
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "'Splosion Man | Extra Punctuation | The Escapist". v1.escapistmagazine.com.
- ↑ "PC Games, Wikis, Cheats, Walkthroughs, News, Reviews & Videos - IGN" – via www.ign.com.
- ↑ "Why 'Devil May Cry' And 'Burnout Paradise' Make Me Feel Lonely, In GameFile". MTV News.
- ↑ Neuls, Johnathan (November 12, 2007). "Valve to sell official Weighted Companion Cube plushies". Ars Technica.
- ↑ "Portal T-Shirt: The Cake is a Lie". Kotaku Australia. November 11, 2007.
- ↑ http://www.jinx.com/women/shirts/video_games/the_cake_is_a_lie.html?catid=25
- ↑ http://www.zazzle.com/portal_the_cake_is_a_lie_tie-151404837771643072
- ↑ http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-40-most-repeated-game-quotes/a-2009071585728445037/p-5
- ↑ "VG Cats! Comics". www.vgcats.com.
- ↑ Remo, Chris. "Portal 2 's Wolpaw: 'I Do Not Want To Resurrect A Three-Year-Old Meme'". www.gamasutra.com.
- ↑ "The Standout Games of E3 2010". www.gamasutra.com.
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