![Bart's Monkey's Paw bart simpson holding a monkey's paw](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/mobile/000/046/842/cover5.jpg)
Bart's Monkey's Paw
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About
Bart's Monkey's Paw refers to a reaction image of The Simpsons character Bart Simpsons making a wish while holding The Monkey's Paw, a fictional artifact that grants wishes but subverts them in an undesired way. In late September 2023, the image gained popularity online as a meme format, used to express regret over past wishes coming true not in a way one intended.
Origin
On October 31st, 1991, episode seven "Treehouse of Horror II" of season three of animated television series The Simpsons premiered in the United States.[1] In the first segment of the episode, inspired by W. W. Jacob's short horror story The Monkey's Paw, the Simpsons come into possessions of The Monkey's Paw, an artifact that grants wishes to its owner but subverts them in terrible ways. After Maggie makes the first wish, Bart asks the Paw for the Simpsons to be made rich and famous.
Paw, this is Bart. I wish for the Simpsons to be rich and famous.
The image of Bart holding the Paw and making a wish has been used as a reaction at least since 2016. On June 18th, 2016, an anonymous 4chan[2] user used the image in a post on the /pol/ board of the site, writing, "I wish for Britain to leave the EU and for Donald Trump to become US president." (shown below).
![I wish for Britain to leave the EU and for Donald Trump to become US president. Anonymous ID: k7LLlbeR Sat 18 Jun 2016 17:50:43 No.77738128 Quoted By: >>77738622 >>77739552 I wish for Britain to leave the EU and for Donald Trump to become US president.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/678/273/04d.jpg)
Spread
Prior to 2023, the reaction image saw occasional use online, primarily on 4chan and on X / Twitter.[3][4]
The format achieved more prominence in September 2023 after X / Twitter[5] user @hayasaka_aryan made a meme in which they expressed regret for wishing for more Star Wars movies and TV shows back when they were eight years old. The post (shown below) garnered over 190 reposts and 2,400 likes in two weeks.
![“I wish we had new star wars movies and TV shows every year” Kaguya's Top Gal @hayasaka_aryan 8 year old me be like: "I wish we had new star wars movies and TV shows every year" 5:31 PM Sep 27, 2023 60.8K Views](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/678/308/2ee.jpg)
Following the post, the format spread further across X / Twitter. For example, on September 28th, 2023, X[6] user @TheStrxggler posted a meme that received over 470 reposts and 3,700 likes in two weeks (shown below, left). On October 11th, 2023, X[7] user @ReviewPossum posted a meme about catgirls becoming real that received over 80 reposts and 1,400 likes in four hours (shown below, right).
!["I wish people appreciated nerd culture more." [MrProfessor Xx Man! @TheStrxggler "I wish people appreciated nerd culture more."](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/678/312/564.jpg)
![Catgirls become real, but they only live as long as actual cats. Possum Reviews @ReviewsPossum Catgirls become real, but they only live as long as actual cats. 9:24 AM - Oct 11, 2023 27.2K Views](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/678/332/877.jpg)
Various Examples
!["I wish Cyberpunk 2077 would launch sooner!" SumitoMedia @sumitomedia "I wish Cyberpunk 2077 would launch sooner!" 5:18 PM . Sep 29, 2023 6,874 Views ...](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/678/318/e17.jpg)
![“I want to play Resident Evil 3 again.” Manlet Thorin @ManletThorin "I want to play Resident Evil 3 again." (0) ...](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/678/309/46a.jpg)
!["I wish western cartoons were more noticeable" Savage Ratchet 18 @YGuyCentral "I wish western cartoons were more noticeable"](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/678/311/538.jpg)
![Persona 3 gets a big budget modern remake The4thSnake @4thSnake Persona 3 gets a big budget modern remake, but there's a new SEES member who gets way more focus than anyone, doesn't fit the tone of the game, and ruins the pacing with dedicated scenes where Atlus pushes her onto the player as THE romance option. 0 1:53 PM - Apr 11, 2023 · 32.9K Views . ...](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/678/278/57a.jpg)
!["I want layers for ms paint" Hyper @Hypering Around "I want layers for ms paint" 3:38 PM Apr 28, 2023 · 2,779 Views . ...](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/678/302/c6f.jpg)
!["I wish we would stop sending billions to Ukraine" funnygamedev @funnygamedev "I wish we would stop sending billions to Ukraine" II GIF ALT : IP Insider Paper @TheInsiderPaper · Oct 9 JUST IN - Senator Hawley says 'any funding for Ukraine should be redirected to Israel immediately' 5:12 PM Oct 9, 2023 63.4K Views](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/678/326/aba.gif)
Template
![Bart's Monkey's Paw Reaction Image](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
Search Interest
External References
[1] Simpsons Wiki – Treehouse of Horror II
[2] 4plebs – /pol/ Post #77738128
[3] 4plebs – /pol/ Post #115336581
[4] X – @The_EnglishGent
[5] X – @hayasaka_aryan
[6] X – @TheStrxggler
[7] X – @ReviewsPossum
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