Cryptocurrencies have long become part of pop culture. ‘South Park’, ‘The Simpsons’, ‘The Big Bang Theory’, Super Bowl commercials, and appearances by stars like Elon Musk have brought Bitcoin, NFT, and Dogecoin beyond financial communities. Sometimes this leads to recognition, other times — it becomes a blow to the industry.
‘South Park’ and the Eternal Crypto Jokes
In its 27th season, the cult animated series once again turned to the topic of digital assets, mocking prediction markets, regulators, and politicians. But this wasn’t the first time: back in 2021, ‘South Park’ showed Bitcoin as an everyday currency — and at the same time as a pyramid scheme.
Later, NFTs took a hit: one of the characters, Butters, loses his mind amid the token hype in an episode, infecting everyone around him with the idea. The caricature of the ape boom and ‘quick money’ became a symbol of the era.
‘The Simpsons’ and the Educational Turn
In 2020, ‘The Simpsons’ dedicated an entire segment to cryptocurrency. Jim Parsons, known for his role as Sheldon, explained the basic principles of blockchain — without satire, in an educational format.
A year later, the show went even further, predicting Bitcoin’s growth ‘to infinity.’ This was one of the rare cases when a mainstream project didn’t mock crypto but helped explain it to the audience.
Hollywood and the Failure of Crypto.com Advertising
In the fall of 2021, Matt Damon starred in a Crypto.com commercial with the slogan ‘Fortune favors the brave.’ The ad aired at the market’s peak, shortly before Bitcoin’s record $69,000.
However, by 2022, the Terra crash and the collapse of several companies turned the message into a joke. ‘South Park’ also noted this:
‘Everyone listened to Matt Damon and lost money. But at least they were brave.’
Super Bowl and the Crypto Exchange Advertising Race
The 2022 NFL finale became an arena for crypto companies. Crypto.com brought in LeBron James, eToro made its own commercial and mini-game, and Coinbase blew up the airwaves with a simple QR code.
FTX tried to play on irony with Larry David, who ‘didn’t believe’ in breakthrough technologies. In the end, the ad aged the worst: by November 2022, FTX went bankrupt, and its founder Sam Bankman-Fried received 25 years in prison. Larry David himself later admitted he regretted participating.
Musk, Dogecoin, and ‘SNL’
In 2021, Elon Musk fueled the Dogecoin market with tweets and the announcement of Tesla’s Bitcoin purchase. Everything culminated in his appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ At its peak, Dogecoin was worth $0.76.
But on air, Musk called the token ‘a hustle,’ and the price collapsed. By September 2022, Dogecoin had lost about 75% of its value against Bitcoin.
What’s Next?
Pop culture and cryptocurrencies are moving toward each other. On one hand, jokes and advertising make digital assets part of mass perception. On the other — overly flashy campaigns and mockery highlight the risks.
Recognition on screen is no longer a question of ‘if,’ but ‘how exactly’: as the future of the economy or just another bubble.
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