# Honey Badger > Honey Badger is a 2011 viral video meme featuring Randall's irreverent narration over National Geographic footage, defined by the catchphrase 'honey badger don't care. "Honey Badger" is a viral video meme originating from a January 2011 YouTube video titled "The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger," in which a narrator named Randall provides irreverent, profanity-laced commentary over National Geographic wildlife footage. The video's catchphrases "honey badger don't care" and "honey badger don't give a shit" became widely quoted online and off, spawning image macros, merchandise, a book deal, celebrity fans, and even a planned TV series. ## Origin On January 18, 2011, YouTube user czg123 uploaded a video titled "The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger (original narration by Randall)"[4]. The footage underneath came from a 2007 National Geographic special about honey badgers[5]. Randall, later identified through press materials as Christopher Gordon[9], chose to redub the footage because he felt the original narrator was "so boring" and that "we need to spice this thing up"[5]. The concept of dubbing irreverent narration over nature documentaries wasn't entirely new. A video called "Fuck Planet Earth" appeared on YouTube in June 2008, uploaded by user F1nalB0SS, and another early example titled "I Hate Nature" was uploaded on October 13, 2008[4]. But Randall's version had a specific energy, a persona that felt lived-in rather than one-off, and that made the difference. Separately, Cracked published an article in November 2010 titled "6 Animals That Just Don't Give a F#@k" that received over 2.5 million pageviews[3]. The piece featured the honey badger prominently. While the timing is notable, there's no confirmed connection between the Cracked article and Randall's video[4]. - **Platform:** YouTube - **Creator:** Christopher Gordon, credited as "Randall" (narrator / creator), czg123 (YouTube uploader) - **Date:** 2011 ## Overview The Honey Badger meme centers on a YouTube video where a narrator calling himself "Randall" dubs over National Geographic Wild footage of honey badgers doing what honey badgers do: eating cobras, raiding beehives, and generally being indestructible. Randall's narration is flamboyant, profane, and deeply committed to the bit. He describes the honey badger as "crazy" and "nastyass," delivering lines like "honey badger don't care" and "honey badger don't give a shit" with genuine enthusiasm[4]. The background music is the Prelude from J.S. Bach's Cello Suite No. 6 in D major, which adds an absurd layer of classical refinement to the chaos on screen[5]. The appeal is straightforward: the honey badger's real-life fearlessness paired with Randall's over-the-top narration created a perfect storm of comedy. The animal really does eat venomous snakes, shrug off bites, and steal food from much larger predators. Randall just made sure everyone knew about it. ## How It Spread The video took off fast. By late January 2011, internet humor sites including Urlesque, College Humor, Funny or Die, and BuzzFeed had all featured it[1]. Huffington Post called it "possibly the greatest nature film of all time"[2]. TMZ covered actress Olivia Wilde declaring herself a fan[7]. Taylor Swift also listed it as a favorite[5]. On February 22, 2011, Randall partnered with MovieFone to provide his signature commentary on that year's Oscar nominees[4]. In March, Huffington Post published an exclusive Randall video called "The Pigs of Wall Street," applying the honey badger treatment to U.S. financial industry greed[8]. By December 2011, the original video had racked up over 26 million views. Randall's channel averaged 20,074 views per day, with total upload views exceeding 40 million[4]. The catchphrases spread into everyday language. Hot Topic launched t-shirts. Image macros flooded forums and social media. The meme crossed into sports. In mid-March 2011, Australian rugby player Nick Cummins told the press his more aggressive tackling style was inspired by watching a wildlife documentary about honey badgers, though he never named Randall's video specifically[4]. On January 12, 2012, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick announced her strategy for the Daytona 500 was to "be like a honey badger," telling reporters she even had a honey badger picture as her phone screensaver[10]. She quoted Randall by name and encouraged everyone to watch the video. LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu also earned the nickname "Honey Badger" around this period[10]. A reference appeared on the TV show Glee on April 19, 2011, likely a nod to the viral video[4]. Frozen yogurt chain Red Mango created a flavor called "Honey Badger"[5]. The show American Pickers and Hot in Cleveland also made references[5]. ## How to Use The Honey Badger meme typically works in two ways: **As a catchphrase:** Drop "honey badger don't care" or "honey badger don't give a shit" when someone (or something) is acting with complete indifference to consequences. It's most effective when the subject is outnumbered, outmatched, or in obvious danger but proceeding anyway. **As an attitude template:** Apply the honey badger persona to any situation. "I'm going to be like a honey badger" became shorthand for a fearless, zero-fucks-given approach, as Danica Patrick demonstrated when she adopted it as her NASCAR strategy[10]. **As video remixes:** Some users created their own narrations over different footage using Randall's style, though the original format of irreverent wildlife commentary is the most recognizable version. ## Cultural Impact The Honey Badger crossed from internet joke to mainstream culture with unusual speed. Within months of the upload, the video had been featured by Huffington Post[2], BuzzFeed[1], TMZ[7], and Funny or Die[4]. Celebrity endorsements from Taylor Swift and Olivia Wilde brought it to audiences who didn't typically follow viral videos[5][7]. The phrase entered sports culture significantly. Tyrann Mathieu, the LSU cornerback, became so associated with the "Honey Badger" nickname that it followed him into his NFL career[10]. Danica Patrick publicly adopted the honey badger as her competitive philosophy ahead of the 2012 Daytona 500[10]. Australian rugby player Nick Cummins credited a honey badger documentary with changing his playing style[4]. The brand expanded into publishing, mobile apps, TV development, product endorsements, and even frozen yogurt flavors[5][9]. Randall's return for The Lincoln Project's 2020 political ad showed the format still had cultural currency nearly a decade later[5]. In 2012, Randall appeared on America's Got Talent, bringing the narration style to a live TV audience[5]. ## Fun Facts - Randall said if he met a real honey badger, he would "probably like, let it bite my balls off if it wanted to"[5] - The background music in the video is the Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 6, lending an air of classical dignity to lines about eating cobras[5] - Randall's father worked as a cameraman for Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, giving Randall a lifelong connection to wildlife media[5] - Frozen yogurt chain Red Mango created a "Honey Badger" flavor in response to the video's popularity[5] - The original National Geographic footage was from a 2007 special, meaning the honey badger content existed for four years before Randall made it famous[4] ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the Honey Badger meme? The Honey Badger meme is based on a January 2011 YouTube video where a narrator named Randall provides irreverent, profanity-filled commentary over National Geographic footage of honey badgers. Its catchphrases "honey badger don't care" and "honey badger don't give a shit" became widely quoted online[4]. ### Where did the Honey Badger meme come from? The video was uploaded to YouTube on January 18, 2011, by user czg123, featuring original narration by Randall (real name Christopher Gordon) over footage from a 2007 National Geographic special[4][9]. ### What does the Honey Badger meme mean? It expresses a fearless, indifferent attitude toward consequences or danger. Saying "honey badger don't care" means someone or something is proceeding without concern for obstacles, risks, or criticism[4]. ### How do you use the Honey Badger meme? Use the catchphrase "honey badger don't care" when describing someone acting with total indifference to consequences. It works for both genuine admiration of boldness and humorous descriptions of reckless behavior[10]. ### Is the Honey Badger meme still popular? The original video accumulated over 100 million views[5]. While the peak viral moment was 2011-2012, Randall returned in 2020 to voice a Lincoln Project political ad[5], and the catchphrases are still widely recognized. ### Who is Randall from the Honey Badger video? Randall's real name is Christopher Gordon, as revealed through press materials for the planned TV series Honey Badger U. His father worked as a cameraman for Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom[5][9]. ### Did the Honey Badger video lead to a TV show? A show called Honey Badger U was developed by Six Eleven Media as an animation/live-action hybrid, with comedian Harland Williams attached as executive producer. The project was pitched to networks but never produced[9]. ### Why did Danica Patrick reference the Honey Badger? In January 2012, Patrick told reporters she was adopting the honey badger as her competitive mindset for NASCAR's Sprint Cup season, saying "the honey badger takes what he wants" and keeping a honey badger photo as her phone screensaver[10]. ### Was there a Honey Badger book? Yes. Andrews McMeel Publishing released *Honey Badger Don't Care* in January 2012, featuring comedic commentary on the honey badger and ten other animals. Reviews were mixed, with critics noting the humor worked better with Randall's voice[5]. ### Who is Tyrann Mathieu the Honey Badger? LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu earned the "Honey Badger" nickname around the same time the video was popular, referencing the animal's fearless reputation. Danica Patrick mentioned him as sharing the nickname[10]. ### Did the Honey Badger meme have a political ad? In October 2020, The Lincoln Project released "Covey Spreader," a political ad voiced by Randall in his honey badger style, spotlighting Trump campaign COVID-19 cases[5]. ## References 1. [The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger]() 2. [Honey Badger Don't Care: The Best Nature Video Of All Time | HuffPost Entertainment]() 3. [6 Animals That Just Don't Give A F#@k | Cracked.com]() 4. [Honey Badger - Know Your Meme]() 5. [The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger]() 6. [Honey Badger - Urban Dictionary]() 7. [Olivia Goes Wilde for the Honey Badger]() 8. [Honey Badger Don't Care: The Best Nature Video Of All Time | HuffPost Entertainment]() 9. [EXCLUSIVE: 'Randall's Animals' Does The Pigs Of Wall Street | HuffPost Entertainment]() 10. [Honey Badger Viral Sensation Heading to TV (Exclusive)]() 11. [Danica Patrick wants to be like… the honey badger? - Yahoo Sports]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/honey-badger Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library