Skuf
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Skuf, also known as skufidon (Russian: скуф, скуфидон), is an Internet meme in the Runet (Russian-language Internet) that gained popularity in the 2020s. The term "skuf" refers to men over the age of 35 who appear unkempt, typically work in low-paying dead-end jobs, and spend virtually all of their free time drinking beer while browsing the Internet, watching television, or playing video games (especially Dota 2 and World of Tanks). Skufs are variously characterized with elements such as balding, being overweight, edema, messy facial hair, questionable hygiene, poor fashion sense, all of which make them appear older than their actual age.
History
[edit]The meme originated from a user of the Russian imageboard Dvach — reportedly a politics board moderator named Alexey Skufyin.[1][2] In 2018, Skufyin got into a political argument with another user, allegedly from Ukraine, and responded with a video message asking the user to stop "insinuations" and leave the thread. He did not conceal his appearance in the video, which later went viral.
As the clip spread, users uncovered personal information about Skufyin, including his home address and family photos, and mocked him online.[3][4] He was eventually banned from Dvach, and his name became a meme. Those who resembled him in looks or attitude were nicknamed "skufs."[3]
The meme resurfaced in 2023 on Instagram and other platforms, often in reels (short videos) portraying scenes from a "skuf's" life — playing games, drinking beer, or talking about politics.[3] That same year, Skufyin gave a one-hour interview on the YouTube channel Xikkasgrandma.[5]
By 2024, "skuf" had entered the slang vocabulary of Russian teenagers.[1]
In video games
[edit]The meme character voiced by underground singer Prophet Sanboy became the protagonist of the Russian visual novel Altushka for a Skuf (Russian: Альтушка для скуфа).[6][7]
Memes and popular culture
[edit]The term "skuf" spawned numerous memes and jokes.[8] Pop culture figures associated with the "skuf" archetype include characters played by Dmitry Brekotkin in Ural Pelmeni and Sergei Svetlakov’s Sergei Belyakov in Nasha Russia.[9]
Many celebrities have been jokingly labeled as "skufs" based on appearance, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Elon Musk, streamer Ilya Maddison, blogger Yury Khovansky, and former Russian president Boris Yeltsin.[2][3][10]
Derivative terms have emerged from the meme, such as "to skuf" (соскуфиться), "skufinya" (female skuf), and "skufization" (скуфизация).[11][12]
A comedy film Skuf film promised "witty exploration of social stereotypes, intergenerational tensions, and family relationships".[13] It was planned for release in April 2026, however the distributor removed it from the schedule because the distribution certificate was not received. There was no official explanations, however it is suggested that this had happened because the main role was played by a controversial Ukrainian tiktoker Aleksandr Gubarev.[14]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "Батя, ну ты скуф! Как понять современную молодежь — объясняем их выражения простыми словами". Fontanka.ru (in Russian). 19 June 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- 1 2 ""Skuf" — word of the year? How a hurtful meme surpassed Pushkin and became Russia's new philosophy". MenToday.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 Dante, Eliza (5 March 2024). "Skufology: who is a skuf and how not to become one". RTVI (in Russian). Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ↑ "Russian men fear becoming "skufs": what does it mean and why it's scary". Rambler News (in Russian). 23 August 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ↑ Xikkasgrandma (27 August 2023). "СКУФ СКУФИДОН / Алексей Скуфьин / ЧТО С НИМ СТАЛО?". YouTube. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ↑ "Altushka for a Skuf to receive major expansion". ixbt.games (in Russian). Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ↑ PseudoEsthet (24 April 2024). ""Skuf" and "Altushka": From Meme to Game of the Year". Forpost-Afisha (in Russian). Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ↑ "Who are skufs and how not to become one". URA.ru (in Russian). 4 September 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ "Three cars that unmistakably reveal a skuf". News.Telegraf (in Ukrainian). 1 May 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ↑ "Skufs, tubiks, masiks, chechiks, shtriks: youth slang explained". Tinkoff Journal (in Russian). 8 September 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ "What is a skuf and when did the meme emerge?". Medialeaks (in Russian). 21 March 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ "Who is a skuf: slang meaning and meme history". Gazeta.ru (in Russian). 19 December 2024.
- ↑ В России началась работа над фильмом "Скуф" со звездой в главной роли
- ↑ [https://peterburg2.ru/news/semeynaya-komediya-skuf-ne-vyydet-v-rossiyskiy-prokat-228791.html Семейная комедия «Скуф» не выйдет в российский прокат Подробнее: https://peterburg2.ru/news/semeynaya-komediya-skuf-ne-vyydet-v-rossiyskiy-prokat-228791.html]