‘I Don’t Really Wanna Do the Work Today’ [Behind the Meme]

You’ve heard it a million times, but where did the “I don’t really wanna do the work today” meme come from?

It’s Monday; someone you know has or will post the infamous “I don’t really wanna do the work today” meme you’ve seen for a couple of years now. Maybe, like me, it gets stuck in your head as you toil through your Monday morning tasks (or any day when I don’t want to do work). Maybe that’s a good thing, or perhaps you hate that song as much as you hate Rebecca Black’s stupid Friday song. Regardless, have you ever once stopped to consider where the meme comes from? And what does it have to do with actor/singer Darren Criss? And how is this in any way connected to Harry Potter?

In 2009, a small college theater group became internet-famous when their Harry Potter musical, aptly named A Very Potter Musical, was uploaded online and went viral. The group consisted of several actors, including founding members Darren Criss (who would later go on to Glee and American Crime Story), Brian Holden, Matt Lang, and Nick Lang. After the success of their show, the group continued to create funny, musical stage parodies that delighted audiences in person and online. But it wasn’t until their first, entirely original production, Firebringer, that the “I don’t really wanna do the work today” riff was born.

In the video below, Waiting in the Wings takes a deeper dive into the origin of the meme to include a better understanding of the Starkid theater group as well as the musical that led to the “I don’t really wanna do the work today” meme we all know and love. Watch to find out more:

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