Minions helped me revive an old friendship

Every morning at 10 a.m., my phone alarm reminds me that it’s time to send some sort of Minion-related image to one of my best friends. Sometimes it’s a dark nonsense meme, deep-fried beyond recognition. Sometimes it’s an overly saccharine inspirational quote from Pinterest, tailored to the day of the week. Sometimes it’s just a photo of a grocery store sheet cake with a Minion on it, with a generic happy birthday message slapped on top. There’s no rhyme or reason to what I pick, except for how I feel in the moment. Are you looking for something truly funny? What is my theme? Or am I more inclined to absurdism? Fortunately, there’s a Minion for every mood and mode.

I’ve been doing this every day for almost two years. We lived in college for about a year together. After that, we parted ways quite peacefully. Life took us in different directions. Even though we had every social media application at our disposal, it was difficult to keep in touch with each other without having the shared ground of school, exams and a common living area. We drifted apart, as it often happens. We spoke with each other occasionally but not as often.

In the doldrums of 2020, when the pandemic forced everyone’s communication to move to virtual spaces, we started talking again. One day, I saw a screenshot of a store. of a Minion shirt from Uniqlo pop up on his Instagram story — a bright yellow top with three understated Minions poking out from the chest area. I told him I’d buy him one, but he’d have to wear it. Because I thought everyone would be as upset by bright yellow Illumination characters, my hubris made me assume that they were. Launched in 2010’s Despicable MeThe Minions are a pop-culture phenomenon that has become ubiquitous and then becomes ironic and then irritating. That’s at least what I think.

But to my surprise, my friend replied that he likes Minions unironically, and thinks they’re pretty cute. He said that he loved Minions, so I challenged him and sent him one every day.

I am the type of person who won’t back down when committing to a bit, so I made sure to set an alarm on my phone for the next morning, and I gleefully sent him a picture of a Minion when it rang. And I haven’t stopped since.

Admittedly, I’ve missed a few days over the last two years, but I always make it up with two the next day. And I don’t always have time to do it right at 10 a.m., but I do my best to carve out that time so I can continue the joke. His usual reply is a picture that is not wordless. It can be anything from cute photos of animals to elaborate pieces of his own creation. He once sent me posters from his 2013 turkey emancipation movie. Birds are freeEvery day for one week. This was not Thanksgiving. Sometimes he gives me an update about his day or I mention the cute starters in the new Pokémon game, and we carry on the conversation. Sometimes he doesn’t reply. But it’s still a space every day where I reach out and say hello in a completely silly manner.

Image by Petrana Radiovic/Polygon

Image by Petrana Radiovic/Polygon

Through these little yellow creatures, we’ve reconnected. Even after nearly two years, we still share a lot of things, it turns out. He didn’t know I’d gotten into anime in the interim, since I never really watched it in college. He sometimes responds to me with photos of some of my favourite anime characters. It has been a huge failure to persuade him to stop loving Minions. Now when I see one of those little yellow fellows, I’m overwhelmed with a strange affection.

It can be difficult to make new friends, and it can even more challenging to keep old friends. Some friends may be lost as they transition from college life to adulthood. This could happen because of distance or different interests. It can sometimes be as difficult as it helps to use social media, particularly when FOMO feels strike. It’s clear that there are people with whom I am most in touch when I come across a TikTok, meme, or other reminder of them. And while that’s communication, it’s also sporadic, though more intimate than just liking or commenting on a social media update. It’s a You are so kind!Or a This gave me joy and I felt the need to share.

These Minion memes are? They’re lighthearted, trivial, and purposefully inane. But the key was to send one every dang day, and that’s what made them a success. Since I’m not prioritizing finding a meme or video that’s actually funny, there’s less pressure on a hypothetical conversation. There’s no need for my friend to follow up with obligatory questions or rote reactions.

When I see old friends again, it can make me nervous. Do I spend too much time talking about what we were like versus how we feel now? Are they honest about my current situation? Or do I keep that conversation for another day? Are we willing to acknowledge those we used to know, but who are gone from our lives? Or do we let them wander, as ghosts in the fog, until we return. Are we supposed to say good-bye to our old friends when we end the conversation? Or do we just wait for them to return? What do you say to someone who used to have the ability to chat with them about any topic, but is now unable to? How can I explain to someone that while things may be different, it was important once and this feeling will never go away?

Minion memes were my first choice in this case. There’s inherently less pressure to make reconnecting and maintaining a friendship meaningful and perfect when the conversation looks like this:

Image by Petrana Radiovic/Polygon

These small, personal reminders of friendship are a wonderful way to get started. After sending a meme, I can ask “Did you see the new Fire Emblem trailer?” or say “I have an interview tomorrow, wish me luck!” (Which is, of course, followed by a Minion luck meme.) Having a fixed point of time every day to check in with my friend acknowledges that we’re both available if we want the conversation to continue — but also that there are no hard feelings if one of us is head-down with life, or just isn’t up for it. The important part is that we know we’re there for each other.

I can’t in good faith vouch for the Minion Method as a universal connector. Just as every friendship is different, every person’s feelings about Minions are different. But making a point to connect — however briefly — on a superficial level every day has made it easier to connect when it matters. With a new Minions movie coming out, it’s clear that Minions aren’t going anywhere, and neither are the memes I continue to send to my friend. I’ll send him this story too, and he’ll probably get a good laugh out of it. Maybe our conversation will then drift apart as we respond to work emails, wash dishes, and get on with real-life. Up until tomorrow morning. Then I’ll diligently seek out a new meme to start over.