The internet, a wildly popular communication method invented by Al Gore, passed away on Thursday night when someone uploaded a photo of a really ugly dress to Tumblr. It was 22. In recent years, the internet managed to survive threats against net neutrality and the sight of Kim Kardashian’s naked butt, but ultimately the debate over whether some dress was gold and white or blue and black (or both?) proved to be more than it could handle. What started with some funny celebrity Twitter feuds led to comments sections clogged with conspiracy theories and a glut of explainers about how the human eye perceives color. Here’s a look back at the meme that ended it all.
It all started with this simple plea for help:
Asked for more evidence, the Tumblr user provided a photo of the accursed garment in the wild:
Then the madness started:
R.I.P., internet. We’ll never forget that time you let us illegally download Mariah Carey’s entire discography, or that picture of sad Keanu. You’re the best.
