I Didn't Get the Joke, Sir

Submission 16,682

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About

I Didn't Get the Joke, Sir refers to a viral exchange between three Facebook users in which two people say that they did not understand a joke, with the author of the joke offering to explain it in a private message and advising to look it up on Google. Starting in late March 2020, the exchange became a popular subject of memes on Facebook, with users imagining the exchange taking place between other participants. The memes based on the format poke fun at events in which a certain someone took advantage of or neglected two others.

Origin

On March 23rd, 2020, parody Facebook^[1] page Sir raheel physics notes posted a joke about students behaving loudly in class (shown below, left). In replies to the post, Facebook^[2] user Basmah Khalil commented "I didn't get the joke sir ☹️," with Sir raheel physic notes replying "Privat msg I will explan." In the same comment thread, Facebook user Ravi Pandey wrote "I also didn't get the joke sir 😔," with Sir raheel physic notes replying "Googl it" (exchange shown below).

Later on the same day, Sir raheel physic notes^[3] posted a screenshot of the exchange, with the post gaining over 1,700 likes and 240 shares.

Spread

On March 24th, 2020, Redditor^[9] dj_jose posted a screenshot of the exchange to /r/madlads subreddit where it received over 43,500 upvotes.

On March 31st, 2020, Facebook^[4] user Mickail Naqvi posted the earliest known viral meme based on the exchange to Attack on Titan Leviposting: Hoes Mad Edition Facebook group, gaining over 3,200 reactions and 1,000 shares (shown below, left). On the same day, Facebook^[5] page Important Images: Cinema Kino Edition posted a meme based on the exchange that received over 460 reactions and 120 shares (shown below, right).

Starting on March 31st, the meme format received viral spread across Facebook meme groups. For example, on that day Facebook^[6] user Daniel Mogoș posted a Skyrim meme in Nirnposting group that received over 4,200 reactions and 340 shares in one week (shown below, left). Also on the same day, Facebook^[7] user Izumi Yaori posted a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure meme to JoJo Standposting Facebook group that received over 2,900 reactions and 360 shares (shown below, right).

On April 5th, 2020, Indian entertainment news site Chai Bisket^[8] reported on the spread of the meme.