What Does Pepega Mean? Know Your Twitch Speak

by Laura C. Jones
2.9K views

With so many Twitch emotes available on the internet, it can be quite difficult to understand what each of them means and how it can be used. Most of these emotes are commonly used in video streams and live gaming. One of the most popular gaming emoticons today is Pepega. The most common question that beginners ask is: What does Pepega mean? This article discusses everything about Pepega.

What Does Pepega Mean?

Pepega is a popular emote used in online gaming and video streaming. This emote comes in a modified image of the popular Pepe the Frog and it depicts a sense of surprise and excitement. However, the type of surprise expressed by Pepega has a derisive undertone to it.

In other words, Pepega is used in situations where you want to say “look at this absolutely ridiculously stupid thing”. At times, it can be put as a question, expressing the typical “WUT?!” reaction. Overall, Pepega is meant to draw your attention and keep you glued to the screen.

Some people claim that Pepega is a sarcastic online slang word for “retard”. The word is also said to be politically incorrect, but that doesn’t seem to bother many members of the Twitch community. But for you to, truly, understand the meaning of Pepega, you need to be familiar with the word Twitch, Pepe the Frog, and emote.

What Is Twitch?

Twitch is a popular American online video live streaming platform that specializes in video game live streaming, especially the transmission of esports competitions. But it also offers transmission of music, creative content, and real-life video streams. This platform is operated by Twitch Interactive, which is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc.

What Is Pepe the Frog?

Pepe the Frog is one of the latest and most popular internet memes. It consists of a green anthropomorphic frog with a humanoid body. This meme was created in 2005 by Matt Furie for his comic titled Boy’s Club. Its popularity grew within a very short time, turning it into a celebrated meme across different online platforms including MySpace, 4Chan, and Gaia Online.

In 2010, Pepe was appropriated as a sign of the anti-right and white supremacist movements. It was also used for political satire during the 2016 US elections, with anti-Trump groups sing it to ridicule trump supporters. It was from this image that popular emoticons such as Poggers were created.

What Is an Emote?

An emote refers to an entry in a text-based conversation that shows an action happening. It describes an action using words or images. To emote is to display emotions openly, specifically when communicating or acting.

 The Origin of Pepage

The Pepega emoticon was created in 2018 by Twitch–one of the most popular gaming platforms that offer a live gaming experience. Its creation happened by accident during a casual Discord conversation. At first, the Twitch community gave this emote a wide berth, perhaps because they didn’t fully understand its meaning and usage.

But eventually, it became an accepted meme, not just in the Twitch realm, but across other gaming and social media platforms. Currently, this emote is commonly used in Twitch chatrooms and Reddit. A common accompanying line when spamming Pepega is “FOOR SAAAN”, which refers to Forsen. The number of A’s and O’s you include in the accompanying line depends on how much emotion you want to express.

It is also common to find gamers using a Pepega alongside a horn or megaphone emoticon. The emoticons are then followed by the accompanying word as a way of ridiculing the aforementioned Twitch streamer. It is also important to note that since its inception, the Pepega emote has been reincarnated into various emotes including Pepega clap GIF, Pepega megaphone, Pepega penguins, among others.

How Do You Pronounce Pepega?

Many people don’t know how to pronounce Pepega correctly. Some pronounce it as peh-peu-ga, pepe-ga, or pepu-ga. But these pronunciations are wrong. The correct one is peh-peyguh.

Is Pepega a Bad Word?

As mentioned earlier, Pepega is a pejorative term used on different live video streaming and social media platforms. Many people use it to ridicule or express their distaste for people who are mentally handicapped. This emote is normally spammed in chatrooms when a video streamer or gamer does something foolish or awkward like failing to kill an easy target or dying.

If you are always using this emote in every stream, many people will soon be hesitant to click on your stream because they know the entire chat is going to be “pepega this, pepega that”. This can easily damage your reputation, leading to the slow death of your community. Remember that online communities are kept alive by the viewers.

It is also not advisable to use this emote in circles where people don’t understand its meaning or lack the internet sense of humor. Otherwise, people might associate you with the wrong community. A good example is what happened to Jordan Peterson – a controversial clinical psychologist who regards himself as a right-wing internet celebrity.

He was recently condemned for posing for a photo while holding the Pepe flag. Many people consider the flag hateful. The photo left a major dent in his reputation despite his efforts to downplay the public outrage.

What Emotion Is Pepega?

Pepega is one of the favorite emotes for trolls and gamers who have a history of toxic comments and chats. When you refer to someone as Pepega, you are calling them a retard. Some people refer to it as the sad version of Pepe the Frog. Therefore, it is important to avoid using this emote continuously because it is considered toxic.

In Summary

Since you now understand what Pepega means, you should learn how to use it correctly to avoid offending other people. You should also avoid using this emote outside of the circles where people understand its meaning and appreciate the idea of internet fun.

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