Neighborhood (Meme) Watch

Move over, Strutting Leo. Slow it down, Happy Keanu. Grab a seat, Prancing Cera.

Earlier this month, San Diego Police released a surveillance photo that they thought depicted the man responsible for six assaults on women this summer in the North Park neighborhood. Now an arrest has been made, because the Internet was on the case.

Perhaps due to the jaunty posture of the man in the photo — hands clasped behind back, right leg extended well in front of him, as if his ballcap were really a top hat and his sideburns unironic — he quickly became the subject of countless memes.

"Interestingly," says Police Internet Detective Craig Webb, "many of the meme captions contain quotes from recent pop songs whose lyrics contain an edge of what I would call 'sexual aggression.' I'm not talking about the crazed, cheerful enthusiasm of Lil' Jon's 'Bend Ova Make Your Knees Touch Your Elbows.' I'm talking about something creepier, more coercive. What's remarkable is how easy it seems to be for these folks. I would have run out of ideas after using the lyrics from 'Blurred Lines.' You know: 'I'm gon' take a good girl — I know you want it…' Anyway, someone texted us a tip after seeing the meme, and now we've got this David Angelo Drake fellow in custody."