Jimothy the raccoon is proof that being weird, feral, and unknowable is the key to winning the internet

• Jimothy the weird raccoon has reached peak social media virality.
• Like all internet-famous animals, there’s already Jimothy merch.
• It’s worth thinking about why Jimothy — in all its bizarre glory — became the object of online obsession.

If there’s one thing you see on the internet today, I hope it’s Jimothy.

Here’s the 101 on Jimothy: A strange raccoon roaming the streets of Seattle reached peak internet virality. Rather than try to describe this creature, a video can do the talking.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kiana (@c1vrgr1)

It’s unclear from this short clip why Jimothy looks … well, like that. Veterinarians told local TV stations that the raccoon could have short spine syndrome, a disorder that some dogs also have.

Despite this setback, it appears Jimothy managed to reach maturity. Other videos from Seattle of what could be Jimothy show a raccoon that looks far smaller, but just as odd.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ben Trammell (@bwtrammell)

It’s easy to dismiss Jimothy as just another animal the internet has elected as its celebrity of the moment. A couple of months ago, it was Punch, the sad Japanese monkey, clutching its Ikea plushie. And before that, in 2024 — what seems like a lifetime ago — there was Moo Deng, the baby hippo with Barbie-pink blush.

The same cash-grab cycle that comes with internet virality is already happening to Jimothy. Jimothy memes have flooded social media. Sellers on Etsy and Amazon are cashing in on Jimothy merch, making T-shirts and trinkets with its likeness.

By all estimates, Jimothy the trash panda is unlikely to benefit from any of these merchandise sales, nor will it reap the significant creature comforts that come from being TikTok-famous.

And in 72 hours, we might all be sick of Jimothy.

However, before that raccoon gets forgotten, along with the Jimothy plushies that may well get listed on Temu in a week, it’s worth thinking about why it got famous.

At a time when AI can churn out endless content of poreless, perfect-looking people, the internet has instead chosen something that looks freaky and feral from the street to obsess over.

There is still value, perhaps, in unscripted, AI-free authenticity, in the “what am I looking at?!” viral moment.

So all hail Jimothy, animal star of the summer — and our reminder to enjoy and embrace the whimsical and bizarre.

Read the original article on Business Insider