How did protein become a meme, and are we all in on the joke?

Protein used to be synonymous with a certain archetype: usually male, usually an avid gym-goer, usually in a T-shirt two sizes too small, with one of those hard-to-wash protein shake bottles in his grip. But recently, conversations around protein have slipped into mainstream meme culture. You have probably seen them on your feed: viral posts like “First protein cigarette will go hard”, “How much protein is in a double text?”, or “How many grams of protein are in a beautiful eveninghellip; read more raquo;