ST. LOUIS – The @stlouisstarterpacks, an Instagram account, serves as a satirical platform dedicated to St. Louis residents, allowing them to playfully mock themselves. The account showcases a collection of memes known as “starter packs,” which represent various characteristics or experiences associated with individuals living in the area.
The Instagram account’s owner wants to stay private. They said it’s because they think it’s more fun when people don’t know who they are. They said that they might tell everyone who they are one day, but until then, they don’t want to be known. So, per their request, they won’t be named in this article.
The owner of the Instagram account said, “Back to about two years ago I was in my office, and we were making some jokes and one of my coworkers came into the office, and he was dressed in a way that was very preppy, very upscale,” stlouisstarterpacks said. “I made a joke, ‘you’re a walking suburban preppy Dad starter pack,’.”
Check out the original one here.
A starter pack is a type of internet meme designed to explain a typical person, place, culture, object, or viewpoint. A meme refers to any humorous content, such as images, videos, or text, that is rapidly shared and replicated among internet users, often with slight alterations.
“I created one of him really quick and texted it to him,” said stlouisstarterpacks. The coworker thought it was funny and suggested someone make a page of St. Louis versions.
That is how stlouisstarterpacks was born. But they want the public to know that the account isn’t here to target one group or make fun of one person.
“I’ll see something that will inspire me. I’ll be out somewhere and see somebody dressed a certain way, and I’ll take it quick note of it and come back to it,” said stlouisstarterpacks.
One of the page’s most popular memes that got the attention of many audiences was the “Only cross 270 for Cardinal Games Starter Pack”. The original one is here.
“When I moved to Saint Louis in high school, we lived in Chesterfield and my parents were that way, too. They they didn’t know anything East of 270. We never went out to eat anywhere East, said stlouisstarterpacks. “Then I worked in Chesterfield and noticed that a lot of those west county folks just don’t leave the bubble, and I thought it was kind of funny, but that one was one of the originals that really got a lot of attention.”
“So really, they’re just quick colleges that poke fun, or satirical versions of St. Louis culture. They’re meant to be fun, I usually go after different neighborhoods, different parts of town. Try to keep it consistent across the board so that everybody you know is getting their due,” said stlouisstarterpacks.
The account showcases memes about Kirkwood, Eureka, Wentzville, sometimes it will be about a holiday, or something like the Cardinals on opening day, Mardi Gras, or Christmas. Just different topics that the public can relate to too.
The account only posts one new photo once a week. Otherwise, they do trivia and polls using the stories tool on Instagram.
Check out the original here.
“That is that’s really where 95% of the content comes from is in the stories. I get a lot of interaction through [stories],” said stlouisstarterpacks. “I’ll take pictures and say, ‘what part of town and where am I right now?’ That kind of stuff.”
The owner of the Instagram account stated that if they meet someone in person and introduce themselves as the account owner, that person may not necessarily be a follower of the account, but they might be aware of its existence.
“What gets me is when I meet people, even if they don’t follow the account, they say that they’ve seen it in their text messages dozens of times,” said stlouisstarterpacks. “I think in a lot of text chains, people are screenshotting these, sharing them around. That’s the point of the account.”
The owner said, in their opinion, it’s important to strike a balance between the criticism and humor. It’s about finding a blend that combines elements. They often create nostalgic content, but it’s crucial to avoid being excessively offensive or crossing any boundaries. While some individuals may argue otherwise, they strive to be cautious and mindful in their approach.
“I don’t ever want to be intentionally mean, so if I feel like I’m doing something, and it’s just being mean for the sake of being mean, then I’ll, I’ll scrap it. On the flip side, if I were to do one on Soulard and just post pictures of all the bars in Soulard there’s nothing funny about that,” said stlouisstarterpacks.
Join the fun and follow @stlouisstarterpacks on Instagram to celebrate the unique quirks of St. Louis in a playful and inclusive manner.