By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
The Infamous Ermahgerd Girl Is All Grown Up And She's Gay!
Maggie Goldenberg opens up about her experience being a meme and how it affected her relationship with her girlfriend.
The Ermahgerd girl is fam!
In a recently resurfaced Buzzfeed video, Maggie Goldenberg explains how she became one of the most well known memes on the internet and how that impacted her relationship with her girlfriend.
In case you’ve forgotten — or have spent the last decade living under a rock — the “Ermahgerd” meme is the one where the young girl in pigtails is wearing a retainer, holding a Goosebumps book, and making a silly face with the words “Ermahgerd” printed at the top.
In 1999, when she was just 12 years old, Goldenberg did a silly photoshoot with a friend, never expecting the photos to be seen by anyone else. But unbeknownst to her the photo was later put on Myspace and then eventually turned into a meme. Goldenberg was on a trip to India and the Philippines with her then-girlfriend when she got a call from her mom telling her that her face was plastered all over the internet.
This level of instant-fame led to her brother’s friend sharing her personal information and even a photo of her in a bikini on the internet in a bid for attention. While Goldenberg was already out, her girlfriend was still in the closet and, sadly, her conservative parents found out the truth because of this.
In the video, Goldenberg said that at the time she felt “mostly ok” with her photo being shared because people were having fun with it, but when her face started to be printed on mugs and tshirts it felt “like a real violation.”
She also talked about people's responses to the meme really illustrated the ways society in which passes judgement on what young girls are passionate about, “I didn’t feel personally attacked because I was being a character, but there is still that underlying feeling that why do adults think it’s so funny to make fun of a young girl that’s excited about books?”
While not all of the attention she’s gotten from being a meme was positive, the notoriety did lead to a wild night full of furries. After turning down many offers to make appearances, a friend finally convinced her to attend one that was billed as a jungle-themed furry party. But when it became a little more Eyes Wide Shut than she expected, she and her friend took off.
Goldenberg ends the video by saying she has no regrets about becoming a meme and offers some words of wisdom to kids, “To all the little kids out there who love to read, keep going, reading is cool and do not let the internet tell you otherwise.”
Gay and smart?! What a dream come true!
"Ermahgerd" means oh my God.
The girl in the "Ermahgerd" meme is actually Maggie Goldenberg, who dressed up in a silly costume to take that photo when she was 12 years old.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
