The term “trade offer” refers to a specific framework for bartering goods and services online. The most widely shared examples of the meme’s video form were uploaded to TikTok by user bradeazy.
The original intention behind the video version of this meme was to send up stock video trade requests. It uses the theme song from the 2020 NBA Draft and divides the screen in two to show the two teams involved in the transaction.
The first versions of the meme were named “trade offer to God,” and users would offer things or people they disliked to the creator of the universe in exchange for the souls of long-dead celebrities. The trade offers became more and more unequal and arbitrary as the meme spread. Others utilised the format to be humorous, but those who saw a reflection of capitalism in it are more vocal.
The meme series known as “Trade Offer” proposes a number of different swaps between characters for the price of one, using the catchy theme song from the 2020 NBA Draft as a spoof of a standard video game trade request message. In March 2021, the format went viral on TikTok, and a video by TikToker bradeazy became the inspiration for memes proposing a highly unfair trade.
Trade offer memes
The “trade offer” meme has been around for a while, even if it didn’t become widely used until 2021.
On November 12th, 2020, TikTok user @natebellamy4 shared the original version. The video was titled “Trade offer to God” and featured the catchy tune from the 2020 NBA Draft. A video pleaded with God to swap some of humanity’s living for some of its dead. TikTok has 86.9k likes as of January 2022.
Although the initial video had potential, it failed to start a trend, maybe because of its political aspect. A few months later, though, the format became immensely popular.
Another TikTok user, @tylertctv, updated the video meme on March 8, 2021. Similar to the original, he introduced several categories of persons, including COVID-19 and his first and second round draught choices (mimicking a sporting draught trade). He offered to trade his list with God for the likes of late actors Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) and Kobe Bryant (sports icon) and his daughter Gigi Bryant.
After @tylertctv’s initial post, the format quickly gained traction on TikTok, with several prominent users sharing their own takes on the concept.
Spread
Multiple examples of the format went viral in the following days, establishing it as a mainstay on TikTok around the middle of March. Many of the early examples of the meme were posted by TikTokers schmuellers vibe chamber, macncheesegrrl, and jushlarsen on March 8 and 9, with each of their videos receiving over 461,000, 295,000, and 1 million views.
The Trade Proposal from Bradeazy
A variant of the meme, in which a man in a suit and tie offers nothing in exchange for a “sloppy toppy,” was posted by user bradeazy on TikTok before March 18th (the original TikTok is no longer available). When bradeazy uploaded it again to Instagram on March 18th, it quickly became viral, receiving over 11,000 likes.
After being aired on iFunny on March 18th, the video was shared by user ChipSkylark the same day, where it received over 42,100 likes and a lot of laughter. On TikTok, bradeazy posted four more examples of the meme between March 18 and April 3, 2021.
The first parody of the film to appear online was created on March 18 by iFunny user Buffchicks likedick, who added the caption “A Bionicals lego Set” to the original photo. Over 320 people expressed joy at the post.
Conclusion:
A trade offer meme is a graphic that provides a humorous take on the process of trading. They are usually created by an individual or small group of people for the purpose of humor, to make fun of the process, and to provide an alternative perspective on it.
