What's Up With Memes About 'Saddam Hussein's Hiding Place'? Red Silhouette Diagrams Explained

An exploitable image featuring a red silhouette that's photoshopped into obscure or unrelated scenarios has been an instantly recognizable meme since 2021, with internet users editing the red outline of Saddam Hussein into the nooks and crannies of basically any image.

But where did this meme come from, and why did it explode in popularity after 2021? Here's a recap of how one newspaper's infographic about how Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was found turned into a viral meme called Saddam Hussein's hiding place.

Where Does The Diagram Of 'Saddam Hussein's Hiding Place' Come From?

In December of the year 2003, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was captured during Operation Red Dawn by American military forces. He was found hiding in a spider hole at one of two search sites in Ad-Dard, Iraq, as shown in a helpful diagram released by the BBC the next day.

The image lay dormant in public collective memory until at least 2015 when Tumblr user @metagrammed posted the earliest known edit of the image and used it to convey the notion of being buried "six feet under."

How Did 'Saddam Hussein's Hiding Place' Become A Meme?

The diagram showing Saddam Hussein's Hiding Place did not go viral until August 2020, when X user @Chigurh_Crash posted it to make a mentally I'm here joke. Later that same day, X user @piixietit2 joked about the diagram looking like an apartment for rent.

How Did Memes About 'Saddam Hussein's Hiding Place' Evolve Over Time?

Memes about Saddam Hussein's Hiding Place grew more elaborate as time went on, with people editing his silhouette into more and more obscure scenarios. The punch shifted away from the original BBC diagram as a whole, to simply spotting Hussein's red outline in an unrelated scene.

For the full history of Saddam Hussein's hiding place, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.