The Steampunk meme often revolves around the 'Just Glue Some Gears On It' trope, which critiques the aesthetic subculture's tendency to prioritize surface-level decoration over functional design. This specific sentiment was popularized by a viral music video from Reginald Pike in 2010, which mocked the trend of turning everyday objects into 'steampunk' art simply by adding unnecessary brass cogs. Beyond the critique, Steampunk memes celebrate the unique blend of 19th-century history and futuristic technology. They are frequently used to joke about overly complicated DIY projects, eccentric fashion choices, or anything that looks suspiciously like it belongs in a Jules Verne novel.