About

Hard to Swallow Pills refers to a series of photoshopped image macros based on two WikiHow stock images: one someone reading a pill bottle that reads "Hard Pills to Swallow" and the other image of the pills in someone's hands that are labeled a difficult truth. This meme is similar to Pills That Make You Stare and Powder That Makes You Say 'Yes'.

Origin

The two images used in the meme can be found together in the WikiHow^[1] article entitled "How to Lower Myostatin Levels." The images (shown below) were posted on August 17th, 2017 and have received more than 19,000 views in about six months.

Spread

On February 21st, 2018, Redditor^[6] The_New_Phone11 posted an object labeling variation of the meme in which the pill bottle reads "hard to swallow pills" and the pills read "casual conversation does mean she likes you" in the /r/meirl.

The initial post (shown below) received more than 300 points (98% upvoted) in less than one month. Later that day, Redditor^[2] LeNegolossauro reposted the image in /r/meirl and received more than 38,000 points (92% upvoted) and 850 comments.

The following day, Redditor^[3] coconutsunbeam posted a version in which the pills read "Incognito does not save you from the FBI." The post (shown below, left) received more than 4,400 points (95% upvoted) and 90 comments.

On the February 24th, the Facebook ^[4] user WikiHow Image Macros posted a variation with the words "Easy to Pills to Swallow" on the pill bottle and the words "pills to end my life on the" on the pills. The post (shown below, center) received more than 520 reactions and 75 shares in less than one months.

Two days later, Redditor^[5] JerrysMindblowers combined the meme with the original Pills That Make You Stare. The post (shown below, right) received more than 970 points (94% upvote) and 20 comments.

Various Examples

External References