Grand Theft Auto V, now available on two generations of platforms with a version for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S on the way, refuses to die. The game’s latest contribution to the online zeitgeist is the brief scene in which the character Lamar Davis plagues protagonist Franklin Clinton, who has become the basis of an extremely popular meme.
This morning, PlayStation Haven uploaded a YouTube video featuring Black Jesus stars Gerald “Slink” Johnson and Shawn Fonteno re-enacting their roles as Lamar and Franklin.
(This is the part where I give voice to the unspoken NSFW notice accompanying most Grand Theft Auto scenes. Viewer discretion is recommended.)
Nobody knows how to hurt you as much as friends and family.
Although this was the logical end point for the joke format, model changes and sometimes even amateur dubbing replaced Lamar with everyone from Kermit the Frog for Yakuza protagonist Kazuma Kiryu the past few months. Again, many of these videos are NSFW, but there is something about Sponge Bob Square Pants saying “yee yee-ass haircut” that begs to be watched.
It is difficult to pinpoint a key detail or moment that made this scene touch creators and audiences online. The whole thing is hilarious, which is a great advantage, but Lamar completing an almost lyrical speech with a singing insult also helps. Personally, I’m always looking forward to hearing “What ?!” Franklin’s confused at the end, especially when Lamar was replaced by someone as out of place as Darth Vader or snow White.
No matter what the case, at least we have one more thing to distract us from the Underworld.