monkaSTEER

The monkaSTEER emote is a variation of the popular monkaS emote family featuring Pepe the Frog. In this specific variation, Pepe appears nervous and anxious while gripping a steering wheel. The emote conveys a sense of stress or panic while driving or steering through a difficult situation.

Like other monkaS variants, the wide, bulging eyes and sweating expression of Pepe indicate anxiety or nervousness, but the addition of the steering wheel adds context specific to driving or navigating challenges.

MonkaSTEER is derived from the original monkaS emote, which was first uploaded to Better Twitch TV (BTTV) on March 16, 2016, by a user named Monkasen (formerly known as MonkaSenpai). The name "monkaS" comes from the uploader's name and stands for "monkaScared."

The original monkaS emote gained significant popularity around February 2017 in Forsen's Twitch community. The illustration of the nervous, sweating Pepe can be traced back to a 4chan thread on the literature board (/lit/) from July 16, 2011.

The monkaSTEER variant emerged as one of many creative adaptations of the original emote, specifically designed to represent stressful driving or navigation scenarios. It became popular as streamers began playing more racing and driving games where tense moments behind the wheel are common.

MonkaSTEER is typically used in Twitch chat in the following situations:

• During racing or driving game streams when a streamer is navigating difficult terrain or trying to avoid crashes
• When a streamer is making risky maneuvers or dangerous turns in any vehicle-based game
• Metaphorically when a streamer is trying to "steer" a conversation or situation in a difficult direction
• During high-pressure moments in games where precise directional control is needed
• When a streamer is about to crash or has narrowly avoided a crash in a game
• Sometimes used humorously when a streamer mentions driving or transportation in real life