‘Calamity Girl’ Rakes in Half a Million with an NFT of her Trope

Before diving in, I must confess my lack of enthusiasm for NFTs as an idea. Essentially, you are splurging a substantial amount to possess an image of something. Picture it more like investing in a badge that declares “I possess this image of something,” and the substantial computing power needed to craft these digital badges isn’t doing the environment any favors. However, if we are stuck tolerating these entities, let any proceeds from them contribute to a worthy cause.

Many moons ago in 2005, a young girl named Zoë Roth, accompanied by her family, witnessed a controlled blaze demonstration in her vicinity. Roth’s father chose to capture a snapshot of her in front of the incinerating abode, inadvertently portraying her in a somewhat sinister aura. Thus emerged the meme christened as “Calamity Girl,” and thanks to its enduring prevalence even after all these years, Roth, now 21 years old and pursuing higher education, has reaped a commendable profit. Earlier this month, Roth auctioned off an NFT of the image, sealing a deal for 180 units of the cryptocurrency Ether. In dollars, 180 Ether amounts to nearly $500,000.

“Calamity Girl,” arguably one of the most identifiable figures in the unofficial meme pantheon, is now an NFT valued at half a million dollars. The 4-year-old girl from the photograph, currently a college scholar, intends to settle her student debts and extend a helping hand to charitable causes. https://t.co/cmJrm3qMbA

— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 29, 2021

In a dialogue with the New York Times, Roth elucidated that she sold the NFT of her infamous image to rightfully claim ownership. She conveyed, “Individuals who become memes and go viral belong to one category, but the enduring hold of my image by the internet, its perpetual virality, is incredibly surreal for me.” She added, “I’m immensely appreciative of the entire journey.”

“Individuals who end up as memes didn’t necessarily opt for it,” she remarked. “The internet is vast. Whether it’s a positive or negative encounter, you must endeavor to make the most of it.”

Roth intends to allocate the proceeds primarily towards settling her educational debts. Any surplus, along with potential earnings from NFT royalties, will be directed towards charitable endeavors.