Update: I tried to explain the 'I'm baby' meme to my dad at dinner and it went about as well as you'd think.

We were at a diner in Tacoma and he saw it on my phone. I said it's about acting helpless or cute for comfort, you know, like a soft reset. He just stared and asked if I needed to see a doctor, which honestly made it funnier. Has anyone else had a family member completely not get a super common online joke?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.wyatt12d ago

Tried to show my mom a "this is fine" dog meme once. She got worried about the house fire and asked if we should call someone. It's a lost cause trying to bridge that gap sometimes.

kelly_west7412d ago

That "lost cause" feeling hits hard. But maybe the gap isn't about getting the joke, it's about a different kind of worry. Our parents see a real problem in the picture and want to fix it, while we're using the image to talk about ignoring problems. They're focused on the literal danger, and we're focused on the metaphor. It's not that they don't get it, it's that their first instinct is to help, not to laugh at the helplessness. That says something about how they see the world.

the_hayden11d ago

See, I don't think it's always about worry. Sometimes they just don't want to learn the new language. My dad will happily explain a carburetor to me for an hour, but a two-second meme is a bridge too far. It feels like a choice to not meet you halfway.