Look, there’s an element of mockery in most internet memes. But Star Wars Kid and Numa Numa and Little Fatty are famous for the same reason that the Backstreet Boys cockatoo is: there’s a core of utterly unaffected joy to them. It’s infectious and people respond to it.
There’s a sense in which they’re true heroes for this reflexive media-saturated age, and their micro-cults of joy will endure long after the mean-spirited clips are forgotten. No matter how silly or snide the remix, Star Wars Kid’s unselfconsciousness gives him a real measure of dignity.