![When They Mean to X From Y When They Mean to X on Y meme example.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/mobile/000/049/927/when_they_mean_to_x.jpg)
When They Mean to X From Y
Part of a series on Snowclone. [View Related Entries]
This submission is currently being researched & evaluated!
You can help confirm this entry by contributing facts, media, and other evidence of notability and mutation.
About
When They Mean to X From Y, also known as When They're Mean to X on Y or When They Mean to X on Y, is a phrasal template from the perspective of a TV show fan who gets upset when the characters on the show are mean to a specific character. The phrasal template is also used by movie, video game and anime fans (among other subcultures). The original iteration read, "When they're mean to Butters on South Park," and was posted to Twitter / X in April 2024. The meme then became commonplace in May 2024, using an exploitable template showing rapper Kankan sitting on a kitchen sink countertop, looking down and looking upset. Users recaptioned the Instagram story text of the image.
Origin
On April 20th, 2024, X[1] user @drawbrey tweeted, "Me when they’re mean to Butters on South Park," using a video of a TikToker with green hair crying in her car, receiving over 92,000 likes in a month. The video used in the tweet was later disabled by its original uploader. However, a screenshot of the tweet was posted by Instagram[2] user @a11iens on April 26th (shown below).
![Me when they’re mean to Butters on South Park owen/aubrey | aka the struggler @d.... 7h Me when they're mean to Butters on South Park Icc 000 Tik Tok 0:08 @worcesterfanacc](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/826/366/0b6.png)
Spread
On April 27th, 2024, Instagram[3] user @senorlennon recaptioned the tweet screenshot, replacing text to reference Beji from Pitch Perfect, gaining over 5,300 likes in a month (shown below, left).
On May 8th, X[4] user @yesirski tweeted a photo of rapper Kankan sitting on a kitchen countertop, captioned, "When they’re mean to butters on south park 💔," gaining over 73,000 likes in 20 days (shown below, right).
![Me when they're mean to Benji in pitch perfect owen/aubrey | aka the struggler @d....7h Me when they're mean to Benji in pitch perfect 800 闾 0:08 Tik Tok @worcesterfanaccount](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/826/370/878.jpg)
![When they’re mean to butters on south park 💔 @yesirski Follow When they're mean to butters on south park 8:13 AM May 8, 2024 2M Views NO](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/826/374/d89.png)
Later on May 8th, 2024, TikToker[5] @ireviewshi posted a slow fade-in meme that showed an Instagram Story screenshot with the same photo of Kankan sitting in the kitchen and text reading the Butters from South Park caption, receiving over 229,600 plays and 48,900 likes in 20 days (shown below).
@ireviewshi why they be mean to him😪 #rip #chester #fyp #southpark ♬ original sound – pink50s
On May 25th, X[6] user @sinclairbian tweeted a recaptioned version of the Kankan template, reading, "when they mean to Mac from Always Sunny," gaining over 11,000 likes in three days (shown below, left).
Others followed the template, like X[7] user @nohohankpilled on May 25th, who referenced NoHo Hank from HBO's Barry and earned over 13,000 likes in three days (shown below, right).
![when they mean to Mac from Always Sunny when they mean to mac from Always Sunny 71](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
![when they mean to Noho Hank from Barry HBO when they mean to Noho Hank from Barry HBO 老](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
During the same timeframe, the template took other forms, like a tweet shared by X[8] user @SMlTTENMITTENS on May 20th, 2024, captioning a photo of a broken Steam Deck, reading, "ihate it when the milkshake is mean to the meatball," as in, Master Shake and Meatwad from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The tweet received over 22,000 likes in eight days (shown below).
![ihate it when the milkshake is mean to the meatball mittens The Big Cheese @SMITTENMITTENS ihate it when the milkshake is mean to the meatball STEAM 100 11:00 PM May 20, 2024 · 549.9K Views](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/826/429/717.png)
Various Examples
![when they mean to howard hamlin from Better call saul when they mean to howard hamlin from Better call saul Fi](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
![when they mean to Laios from Dungeon Meshi when they mean to Laios from Dungeon Meshi F1 ˊ](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
![when they mean to gregs turkington from on cinema when they mean to gregg turkington from on cinema 4 Fl J](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/826/442/adc.jpeg)
![when they mean to cousin greg from succession when they mean to cousin greg from succession 3: 71 E](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
![when they mean to britta from community when they mean to britta from community 3: 7/1](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
![when they mean to gob bluth from arrested development when they mean to gob bluth from arrested development Fr](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
Template
![When They Mean to X From Y (Meme Template) when they mean to from 3:#](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/826/395/e0a.jpg)
Search Interest
Unavailable.
External References
[3] Instagram – @senorlennon
[5] TikTok – @ireviewshi
[6] X – @sinclairbian
[7] X – @nohohankpilled
[8] X – @SMlTTENMITTENS
There are no comments currently available.
Display Comments