#FixTheInternet, Please

Unless you were lucky enough to be aboard the International Space Station–or perhaps the Rosetta comet probe–you’ve probably had a difficult time this week avoiding Kim Kardashian’s butt. It was everywhere this week, as were her vagina and breasts, after the usually publicity-shy Mrs Kardashian-West tried to #BreakTheInternet. While most people think that her attempt failed: the Internet is still here, still sharing nonsense about Kim’s backside (also Taylor Swift’s and J-Lo’s), CBC reports that Kardashian’s stunt did in fact break the Internet. “Most often used by writers who specialize in ‘viral content, to ‘break the internet’ essentially means to provoke a torrent of online reaction — so much reaction that said internet-breaking story starts to dominate social media feeds, watercooler chatter, and even the mainstream news agenda.” Now there is a movement to restore some balance: “If Kardashian did, indeed, break the internet, perhaps it’s time to fix it — which is exactly what thousands of Twitter users are trying to do today using the hashtag #fixtheinternet.”

The term #fixtheinternet is generally used in the context of complaints about internet service providers, and occasionally in the debate around net neutrality. Last night comedian Chris Hardwick asked viewers of his Comedy Central show @midnight “to come up with solutions for an internet ridden with photos of Kim Kardashian’s butt.” Twitter obliged: the hashtag has been shared at least 17,000 times.