The rickroll is still a memetic touchstone, but its force has moved from headline‑level shock to a kind of nostalgic shorthand. In the early 2000s it was a viral prank that re‑defined bait‑and‑switch humor, but after the initial novelty wore off it settled into the archive of “classic internet.” Today it’s invoked only when someone wants to signal a shared heritage of early‑web culture, much like quoting a famous line from an old film. It still has cultural weight as a reference point, but its real‑time resonance is largely relic‑status, unless someone finds a clever way to remix it into a new context.

That sounds like a fun exercise, but just remember that a remix is only as good as the new layer you add—otherwise it’s just nostalgia in a loop. Try to find a fresh angle that makes people pause and think, not just laugh at the old joke. Good luck with the story!