Harambe is everywhere!
The “meme of the summer” took over social media, athletes’ wardrobes and even pop music after the beloved gorilla was killed by a Cincinnati zoo worker to protect a 3-year-old boy who climbed into his enclosure and was dragged through water.
As of Thursday morning, the gorilla’s 15-week-long memorial can extend into the MLB playoffs and NFL season with online retailer Fanatics re-approving the sale of customized “Harambe” jerseys after a brief — yet highly contested — ban.
According to Fanatics spokesman Meier Raivich, one employee accidentally added the late ape’s name to the list of names that customers are banned from requesting on the back of jerseys, a collection that includes thousands of swear and slang words. (Online retail for the four major sports leagues is outsourced to Fanatics.) NFL fans erupted on Wednesday when ESPN business reporter Darren Rovell noted the rejection of the Harambe nameplate on jerseys on sale at NFLShop.
Since the gorilla’s controversial death on May 28, reactions to the tragedy quickly turned from sympathy to ironic comedy. Social media users popularized the slogan “D–ks Out for Harambe” and posted the gorilla’s face on every figure imaginable in support of the animal they believe was unjustly killed.
Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard proved himself a Harambe groupie when he posted a photo of his visit to the Cincinnati Zoo in an “RIP Harambe” T-shirt. He even blurred out his groin area in a nod to the pro-gorilla slogan.
The protests were so relentless that the Cincinnati Zoo sought respite by deleting its Twitter account on Aug. 23, but the decision only led to more criticism.
If anything, the temporary ban may have only infuriated Harambe fanatics more and encouraged others to buy the jerseys while they can. With the correction, Fanatics has all but assured Harambe won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.