@dasharez0ne (also known as da share z0ne, Da motha fuckin share z0ne, da z0ne, DSZ, and other variations) is a social media account on Twitter, Facebook, and Mastodon, known for posting image macros pairing skeleton art and absurdist or ironic captions. Da share z0ne's posts are an elaborate parody of online hyper-masculinity; specifically, da share z0ne's posts mimic "tough guy" memes with characteristics like macho posturing, poor graphic design, and juvenile fondness for generically "cool" imagery like skeletons, leather jackets, grim reapers, tombstones, flames, and guns.
The creator or creators of da share z0ne operate anonymously. The account is supposedly operated by a fictitious skeleton character known as Admin. All the posts, as well as responses to press inquiries, are made in-character as Admin. In ironic contrast to the over-the-top macho aesthetic of the imagery, the Admin character himself is neurotic, emotionally sensitive, "woke", and preoccupied with mundane aspects of everyday life. The juxtaposition provides much of the satirical effect.
Journalists have praised da share z0ne for its distinct, off-kilter brand of humor and the rich characterization of Admin. In 2018, da share z0ne launched an original trading card game called The Devil's Level with the help of artistic collaborators, including fellow Twitter user dril, Drew Fairweather, and numerous comics artists.
Social media posts
Da share z0ne began posting in September 2015. The account is best-known for image macros that combine artwork of skeletons, compiled from various Internet sources, with superimposed captions in assorted typefaces. The account is loosely affiliated with the "Weird Twitter" subculture. The account is an extended parody of a particular style of overtly masculine meme page on social media. In the words of The A.V. Clubs Gabe Worgaftik, the target of its parody is "the kind of Facebook page that posts tough-guy memes over pictures of skeletons that your fuck-up cousin shares ... this generation's version of a 'Keep honking, I'm reloading' bumper sticker." Writing for Dazed, Luke O'Neil called da share z0ne a "riff on the style of toxic masculinity that can be found on specific corners of the meme-based internet ... where dudes are dudes, motorcycles and guns kick ass, and everything you need to know about a guy can be crammed onto a horribly designed image macro of clashing fonts, unreadable texts, and shoddy looking graphics."
In November 2018, The Columbus Dispatch reported that webcomic artist Drew Fairweather runs da share z0ne.
In February 2020, Admin posted several tweets endorsing Bernie Sanders for the Democratic primary in 2020.
Visual aesthetic
Da share z0ne posts are characterized by purposefully poor graphic design, using multiple tacky fonts in a single image and a different watermark in almost every image. The visual style of da share z0ne was described by Slates Jacob Brogan as a "borderline comical gothic aesthetic" with a "mock-fascination with fatalist cool," but with "silly" captions that "operate in winkingly awkward contradistinction to the pictures." Motherboards Rachel Pick called the account's aesthetic a "mash-up of what guys who own Harleys and stoned 14-year-olds think looks cool." According to Zack Boehm of Uloop, a typical da share z0ne meme is a "configuration of the following: The gaunt visage of a demonic skeleton (this is a DSZ staple), fire, guns, motorcycles, leather jackets, Viking garb, laptops, and short missives like 'Why do bad people get to have good pets?' or 'Thinkin about getting really into Japan' spelled out in Windows '95 word art."
Archer Angel at The Daily Dot compared da share z0ne's format to the approach pioneered by Gangster Popeye, a satirical page likewise "inspired by the 'tough guy' memes from pages like KrazyTrain and Check Dis Shit Out—macros that feature text on themes such as being a badass and not taking shit from anyone, superimposed on pictures of skeletons (often holding weapons)." Roisin Kiberd of Motherboard connected da share z0ne within a history of repurposing skeleton art in Internet culture—"memetic memento mori"—dating back to the 1990s.
"Admin" character
Da share z0ne is run by an anonymous person or group of people. The fictional character who purportedly runs da share z0ne is a skeleton named Admin. The creator or creators of da share z0ne respond in-character as Admin to press inquiries, and Admin has given interviews with Herb.co, Dazed, Vice Media's Motherboard, Newsweek, and New York magazine. In his posts and other messages, Admin usually types in all caps with numerous misspellings.