In a developing story out of Santa Fe, New Mexico, family and friends are concerned about the well-being of 24-year-old Madeline Rodriguez, who keeps commenting “it me” on Instagram memes of woodland creatures wishing for death.
Madeline has sent her loved ones numerous photos of the ringtail bandits crying out in pain, grimacing from inside a pile of discarded clothing, looking despondent as the world burns, apparently sobbing while eating a pie, and sitting on a toilet.
“Yeah, she sends those memes to me a lot,” said Samantha, Madeline’s best friend. “Sometimes I ‘heart’ them when I get them, but I really want to ask, ‘u ok bro’? I don’t know if she is okay, bro.”
Madeline also likes to send these mildly disturbing images to get some attention from her parents, with whom she currently lives.
“The raccoon rubbing its hands together was funny,” said Madeline’s mother, Carly. “I mean, they’re kind of cute if they don’t raid your dumpster. But the raccoons seemed to get more unhinged as time went on.”
Madeline’s favorite emotionally disturbed creature meme accounts include @rage_against_the_raccoon, @fatboiferrets, @manicdepressivemarmots, @worthlesswallabies and @trashposts4u. She sends at least a dozen of what she calls “trash posts” out to her friends every day.
Madeline has even sent digital distress signals to completely random people.
“Out of the blue, Maddy sent me an Instagram post of a raccoon lying underneath a garbage truck labeled ‘life’.. She said ‘lol me’,” said Tina, Madeline’s childhood friend. “We haven’t spoken in ten years. I hope she’s alright.”
We spoke to Madeline to hear her thoughts.
“When I say, ‘it me’, it means that the raccoon expresses what I, myself, am unable to. I just find them very relatable. The way I see it is, if I send someone a raccoon spilling a Big Gulp all over himself and saying, ‘now it’s empty, just like me’, and they laugh at it, we’re going to be friends, you know?” said Madeline, who has been avoiding her therapist for four months. “They make feeling like trash look like fun.”
In a follow-up interview, Madeline’s mother reported that Madeline had just written the word “mood” underneath a post of a baby opossum screaming “aaaaaa” while trapped in a large kitchen sink.
“I don’t know what it means,” Carly said. “What is ‘mood’? Should I call someone about this?”
