‘Pharmacy Signs In France Hit Different: TikTokers Have A New Obsession—and Theyre Making Techno Mashups About It
Every country has its own sub-genre of everyday tourist attractions that locals find perfectly normal and foreign visitors find very interesting. Right now, people on Tik Tok are obsessed with a very unique example: the signs of European pharmacies.
The green cross is an international symbol of medicine and pharmacy, but the windows of European pharmacies often stand out because they are lit up with animated LEDs. People combined images of the pharmacy logo with techno music and attracted more attention than their foreign counterparts. It became popular thanks to a viral Tik Tok with the caption "Pharmacy signs in France are different".
@thewollium I was in Cannes, I saw the pharmacy signs, I wanted to go crazy. #cannes2022 #fyp #europetravel ♬ Stay With Me - Emily Lance
@aliwhome #pharmacy #france #rave ♬ Heart of the Raver - Erode & Amelie Lens
"Europharmacy needs more graphic designers, sffff," the statement on TikTok garnered 1.2 million views. Since "sanitary tub" is a very well-known pharmacological symbol, many of the signs feature animated neon-green snakes, which are actually pretty cute if you're not used to seeing them everywhere.
One commenter joked that it was a "free electro health mix with a bass boost", while French tickers were surprised that other countries didn't get the nod. Although the meme appears to have originated in France, it has since spread to other countries such as Greece and from Tik Tok to Twitter, spawning a tag dedicated to the pharmacy sign video.
@Petro_Franco Pharmacies in Greece get different #pharmacy #rave #greece #graphicdesign #lightshow #fyp #traveltiktok #techno #europe ♬ Originalton - Mike.mej
@ondriftwoods #Pharmacy #flashwarning #twflash #epilepsywarning #pharmaciesyydfuktempleptics #rave ♬ Originalton - Mike.mej
If you're wondering why these symptoms are so difficult, there's a practical explanation. They are instantly recognizable from a distance, which means people know exactly where to buy essentials. So their popularity on Tik Tok means they are doing their job.
Is there anything deeper than the Pharmacy Rav meme? not at all. These pharmacy signs have caught people's attention because they look weird and extreme to foreign visitors and go well with techno music!
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*Originally published: August 24, 2022, 10:40 a.m. CDT
Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
Gavia Baker-Whitelaw is a staff writer for the Daily Dot covering geek culture and fandom. Specializing in science fiction and superhero films, he has worked as a film and television critic for BBC Radio. Elsewhere, he co-hosts the pop culture podcast Overinvested. Follow her on Twitter: @Hello_Tailor