Benedict Townsend

In 2015, Brandon, who went by the creator name Busco, posted a video of a police officer in the act of arresting one of his friends. The officer looks up at the camera, and we're all expecting some kind of protest against the arrest to follow, but no. With a quick pan down, he zooms into the officer's clumpy black work shoes and exclaims, We're one of those!

In 2015, Brandon, who went by the creator name Busco, posted a video of a police officer in the act of arresting one of his friends. The officer looks up at the camera, and we're all expecting some kind of protest against the arrest to follow, but no. With a quick pan down, he zooms into the officer's clumpy black work shoes and exclaims, We're one of those!

Bridget Todd is the creator and host of iHeartRadio's tech podcast, There Are No Girls on the Internet. Based out of Washington, D.C., she's also a former Vine addict.

Bridget Todd is the creator and host of iHeartRadio's tech podcast, There Are No Girls on the Internet. Based out of Washington, D.C., she's also a former Vine addict.

I would bet that even if you've heard the phrase on fleek before, this might well be the first time you've heard Peach's name. Real name Kayla Newman, Peach's Monroe went mega viral in 2014 after she posted a Vine admiring her perfectly plucked eyebrows, coining the phrase on fleek. The term, which the Oxford Dictionary defines as extremely good or very attractive in style, became a sensation.

I would bet that even if you've heard the phrase on fleek before, this might well be the first time you've heard Peach's name. Real name Kayla Newman, Peach's Monroe went mega viral in 2014 after she posted a Vine admiring her perfectly plucked eyebrows, coining the phrase on fleek. The term, which the Oxford Dictionary defines as extremely good or very attractive in style, became a sensation.

When Ariana Grande picked it up, it reached new levels, and brands jumped on the bandwagon, keen to show that they too were hip and cool. The same thing happened to Bosco, a.k.a. Brandon, of What Are Those?

When Ariana Grande picked it up, it reached new levels, and brands jumped on the bandwagon, keen to show that they too were hip and cool. The same thing happened to Bosco, a.k.a. Brandon, of What Are Those?

He actually posted the original video on Instagram, who by then had made their own rival push into short video, but it was quickly shared by another user to Vine, and from there it went stratospheric.

He actually posted the original video on Instagram, who by then had made their own rival push into short video, but it was quickly shared by another user to Vine, and from there it went stratospheric.

Tens of millions of loops on that first video and millions more on imitation posts as other users rushed to do their own take. The problem? Brandon himself had been behind the camera when he made the video. Yes, the line was his, but he appears completely anonymous in the final product. And the account that shared it on Vine belonged to someone else.

Tens of millions of loops on that first video and millions more on imitation posts as other users rushed to do their own take. The problem? Brandon himself had been behind the camera when he made the video. Yes, the line was his, but he appears completely anonymous in the final product. And the account that shared it on Vine belonged to someone else.

So while the audience adored his creation, he hardly received any credit for it. Then in 2018, Marvel cemented the memes place in pop culture history by including it in a little known indie movie by the name of Black Panther.

So while the audience adored his creation, he hardly received any credit for it. Then in 2018, Marvel cemented the memes place in pop culture history by including it in a little known indie movie by the name of Black Panther.

Okay, Mary, you might think that that was a great compliment to Brandon as the memes creator, but that's not how it felt to him, was it?

Okay, Mary, you might think that that was a great compliment to Brandon as the memes creator, but that's not how it felt to him, was it?

I get it, though, because at first you're like, okay, yeah, I made this cool thing. That's fun. And especially in this time, it's like, how do you even monetize these things? Is there an expectation of that? As he said, I've gifted the world this thing. But then it gets to a certain point where it feels like, oh, seemingly everyone is benefiting from this thing.

I get it, though, because at first you're like, okay, yeah, I made this cool thing. That's fun. And especially in this time, it's like, how do you even monetize these things? Is there an expectation of that? As he said, I've gifted the world this thing. But then it gets to a certain point where it feels like, oh, seemingly everyone is benefiting from this thing.

And in fact, people are profiting from this thing, except me, the person who made it. That would make you feel sick.

And in fact, people are profiting from this thing, except me, the person who made it. That would make you feel sick.