By Sam Kestenbaum February 17, 2017

In the meme war over Pepe the Frog, the white nationalists won. Despite a a campaign to “save Pepe” from the “alt-right” who wielded images of the green frog to serve their ideology, Pepe remains solidly an online icon of white supremacy, posted on the Anti-Defamation League’s list of hate symbols.

Now, the meme war is being waged over “Trash Dove.”

Trash Dove is part of an iPhone icon set designed by the artist Syd Weiler. The most popular gif of the bird features the character head-banging wildly. But on 4chan, the social media platform populated by the white nationalist “alt-right,” the bird has gotten another send-up: as an icon of Nazism.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Earlier this month users began photoshopping the bird alongside swastikas or perched on Hitler’s shoulder, like a pet.

Some even took to calling the bird, “Pek,” a reference to another “alt-right” icon known as “Kek.” Kek is an ancient Egyptian character, imagined as some sort of distant relation to Pepe.

Now the Trash Dove is being recast as the symbolic reincarnation of another ancient Egyptian character: Thoth, the bird headed god.

This is all partly tongue-in-cheek, an elaborate troll. In the online world of the white nationalist alt-right, “shitposting,” — slang for posting deliberately inflammatory comments or images online to derail a conversation — is a favored pastime.

Email Sam Kestenbaum at kestenbaum@forward.com

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount