<P> Milkshake Duck is an Internet meme that describes phenomena that are initially perceived as positive, only to soon after be revealed as deeply flawed . </P> <P> The meme was started on Twitter on June 12, 2016 by Ben Ward, an Australian cartoonist using the online handle "pixelatedboat". The Twitter joke describes a fictional Internet viral phenomenon of a duck that drinks milkshakes, subsequently discovered to be racist . Ward described the Twitter message as "a pretty good joke summing up a recent trend" where popularity that comes via the Internet can be quickly washed away by discovering something troubling in a person's past . When asked in 2017, Ward was unsure what actually inspired him to make the joke, but recalls it was partially influenced by the Chewbacca Mask Lady viral phenomenon . </P> <P> The term had some use prior to June 2017, in particular with Ken Bone during the 2016 United States Presidential debate, who was discovered to have a questionable Reddit history after his appearances . The term gained greater use in June 2017, as noted by the Oxford Dictionaries . The demonstration of the independently - developed video game The Last Night was a highlight of Microsoft's press conference during the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2017 due to its stylish cyberpunk visuals . However, one of its creators, Tim Soret, had been found to have previously spoken in support of the Gamergate controversy in 2014, which led several to criticize his views a day later and tarnished the game's image . Though Soret apologized the next day and stated his views on Gamergate had since changed, the "milkshake duck" term was quickly applied to the game . Criticism over the game and the subsequent controversy over social media led to wider adoption of the term . </P>

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