All Internet users know that once a meme surfaces, more are sure to follow.

And once something is mocked and parodied by memes, frankly, it cannot be taken seriously.

The latest influx of North Korea memes to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and (insert various social media here) have turned the North Korean threat into the North Korean joke.  But why? 

The title of a recent video uploaded to Youtube by The Young Turks  raises an interesting question: “Why Do We See North Korea as a Joke & Iran as a Threat?“

Look around.  There aren’t that many memes on Iran’s nuclear program.  There are however, plenty of elected officials citing reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) detailing Iran’s nuclear violations.  

Even as North Korea tested an intercontinental missile while Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel prepared for his confirmation of office, Secretary Hagel reportedly mentioned Iran more than 170 times while occasionally mentioning North Korea a mere 11 times in his day-long testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee in early 2013.

The question remains, why are we as a nation more inclined to fear Iran than North Korea?

Some cite the rise of Islamophobia, while others claim that Kim Jong Un simply cannot be taken seriously, perhaps because of his young age and relative inexperience in international politics, or his notorious high-top fade.  

Is the North Korean threat a legitimate one? Let us know in a comment below.