Oh, man. Aw, man. Let’s be real: even though TIME magazine is a highly esteemed publication for which we have nothing but the upmost, their August 17th issue–which features Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey hovering off of the ground, barefoot, with his contraption on his face–has got to be one of the most ridiculous looking covers the magazine, or any magazine, has ever produced. Don’t take my word for it — see for yourself:
I know you’re wondering what in the blue blazes did I just show you, and I apologize if you spit out your beverage. Truthfully, I cannot tell you what this is. I’m perplexed. I imagine this picture being shown in the editorial meeting at TIME and think about the folks who approved this going, “Yo, this cover is lit and a perfect representation of the future of virtual reality.” This has got to be troll-bait, right?
Nope.
Guess what: this isn’t a joke. It isn’t just an image either. It’s what some are calling the death of VR in the eyes of the mainstream consumer. While I’m not entirely sure I agree with this notion–if we were able to bounce back from the Virtual Boy, we can bounce back from anything–I have to say, this is pretty damn cringeworthy. Lucky for us, the internet has taken the hideous cover and made it into the meme of the day. Move over Meek Mill, Palmer Luckey memes are the new hotness in 2015.
Oh, Jack! You will always be an A-1 gentleman
@therealcliffyb Couldn't resist. 😉 pic.twitter.com/4NQKsHyYT7
— Sean Pelletier (@PellyNV) August 6, 2015
The Avengers welcome a new hero
@BillCorbett @dailydot Marvel's running out of characters…#RiffTraxVR pic.twitter.com/opVbZ42lm9
— Andrew Horn (@bbofun) August 6, 2015
Should have taken the blue pill…
— Celsius Game Studios (@celsiusgs) August 6, 2015
This actually looks pretty fun
— Kevin Pazirandeh (@renderpaz) August 6, 2015
This one will definitely make Dan Casey smile
 https://twitter.com/verge/status/629368412330983425
For those craving for a trip…
your brain on rift cc @TIME pic.twitter.com/h9e5kbE0Ct
— Cale Bradbury (@netgrind) August 6, 2015
At least there’s a future for Oculus dance games
.@dailydot @TIME alright here we go pic.twitter.com/Iqg4iliy93
— it's ammnontet!!! (@ammnontet) August 6, 2015
If an Ecco the Dolphin reboot ever happened…
@therealcliffyb pic.twitter.com/mUcxStVaVb
— Henrique Gonçalves (@Henriquegds) August 6, 2015
The Bloodbag experience VR
 https://twitter.com/JoeAconite/status/629395478086422529
Wax on, Wax off
♫♩Whether you’re high or low, you gotta tip on the tightrope♩♫
.@rje pic.twitter.com/fGZ5brw7QM
— Alex Ferbrache (@AlexFerbrache) August 6, 2015
Swanton bomb!
Nerd: VR's just a fad. Nobody's gonna— Palmer Luckey: <FIVE-STAR FROG SPLASH> pic.twitter.com/zEnyoZtj2B
— Andrew Vestal (@avestal) August 6, 2015
Not too sure about this virtual reality business…
My contribution to the Palmer Luckey cover madness pic.twitter.com/ohRKTIPvHp
— Andrew Freedman (@Andrew_Freedman) August 6, 2015
Even Square Enix is throwing shade
First costume for #LaraCroftGO unveiled! pic.twitter.com/0IteBAixYN
— Square Enix Montréal (@SquareEnixMtl) August 6, 2015
The Sistine Chapel VR
In Oculus, there’s more to see than can ever be seen
You're welcome internet. I'm sorry Palmer. @TIME pic.twitter.com/eYIjopOWqP
— Vanessa Marie @ RTX (@VRex7) August 6, 2015
Why hasn’t there been a Lawnmower Man horror game?
Okay, these are getting too clever
You do know there are A-list actors and millionaires who play D&D, right?
HOLY GEEZ pic.twitter.com/NylCTCMNyG
— Ludwig Kietzmann (@LudwigK) August 6, 2015
As heinous as that cover was, at least we got some hilarious memes out of it. Regardless of the damage TIME‘s cover may do to the image of VR, the Oculus is still quite a fantastic piece of technology, which is destined to be viable regardless. Though Palmer Luckey was the bud of the internet’s jokes today, he’s still a 22 year old, hundred billionaire, and one of the most influential people in tech today. If anything, hopefully future tech moguls will learn an important lesson from this: if a huge publication asks you to pose for their front cover, it’s more than likely a trap.
Do you have a favorite Palmer Luckey meme that we missed? Share it with us in the comments below.
