A new fad has blazed across the online world. The phrase “Ok, boomer,” a sarcastic jab at baby boomers, is spreading like wildfire. Researchers of the term (yes, they exist) claim that the phrase is not new and was actually first mentioned on Twitter in 2018, while others argue that it was used for the first time on 4Chan, a popular forum, back in 2015. Regardless, it only became an internet meme in the past few months. Boomers, or the Baby Boom generation, are people born between the late 1940s and the early 1960s, making them seniors by now. “Ok, boomer” is a snide remark addressed at preachy older people who look down on youth.
Sure enough, the domain industry was not immune to the popularity of “Ok, boomer.” The Domains reports that two weeks ago OKBoomer.com was sold at a NameJet auction for $10,500. In total, Okboomer domain names are now registered in 60 gTLDs. If we include variations like “imanokboomer,” the number of existing domain names using the term exceeds 200. Some of the domain names are already full-functioning websites. For example, imanokboomer.website sells t-shirts and sweatshirts with the phrase. Still, the majority of the domains were clearly registered either for laughs or in a bid to resell them at a high price. For one, the Okboomer.com registrant has set his sights on receiving ten times the initial price. Bought for $10,500, the domain is up for sale again for $100,000.
But fast-buck artists will probably be disappointed in the end. Internet memes are very short-lived, and, as a rule, after a few weeks they are no longer of interest –and neither are the derived domain names. The story of another iconic meme, “Covfefe,” referring to US President Donald Trump’s goofy Twitter typo from 2017, is a very telling example. In the several weeks following Trump’s tweet, 232 domain names featuring this non-existent word were registered – and only 99 are still out there. Covfefe.com’s owner is selling the domain, also for $100,000. However, potential buyers are not lining up.
