Well That Sucks / Pun Replies

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About

Pun Replies, best known for the Well That Sucks images, is a series of pun memes graphically representing phrases expressing disappointment and empathy such as "well, that sucks," "man, that sucks," and "holy shit that blows." Originating from an image of a water well using a vacuum cleaner, the format saw a significant spread on Reddit and Instagram in early October 2019. In May 2022, the trend regained popularity on Twitter as users typed the puns out while hiding the images behind a filter.

Origin

On July 10th, 2018, Redditor Jissapitka posted a pun-based meme depicting a water well using a vacuum cleaner to /r/Wellthatsucks subreddit (shown below, left),^[1] with the post receiving 123 upvotes. On October 14th, 2018, Redditor OtseNash7 made a similar post, which received 19 upvotes (shown below, center).^[2] The format did not see spread until on April 27th, 2019, Redditor boddl69 posted another meme based on the pun to the subreddit, where it gained over 1,500 upvotes in six months (shown below, right).^[3]

Spread

In late April 2019, boddl69's post was reposted in /r/Wellthatsucks subreddit several times,^[4] with an April 29th, 2019, repost by Redditor howstrange_hc suggesting that the image should be used as the subreddit icon gaining over 52,400 upvotes in six months.^[5]

The format did not see further spread until on October 2nd, 2019, Redditor admdhu reposted boddl69's image to /r/Wellthatsucks,^[6] gaining over 300 upvotes in nine days. On the following day, the image was reposted to /r/antimeme^[7] and /r/puns,^[8] where it received over 3,700 and 1,300 upvotes respectively in the same period. Later on the same day, Redditor missuncleben reposted a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation in which the image had been used to /r/memes^[9] and /r/comedyheaven^[10] subreddits (shown below), receiving over 250 upvotes in one week. According to missuncleben, the image originated from an unidentified Facebook group.

On October 6th, 2019, Redditor Atyuiii reposted the image to /r/madlads subreddit,^[11] where it gained over 40,100 upvotes in five days. On the same day, Redditor kayneshaw posted a He Is Speaking the Language of Gods meme based on the screenshot to /r/dankmemes subreddit,^[12] receiving over 82,400 upvotes in five days (shown below).

In the following days, more pun-based memes which graphically depicted such expressions as "holy shit, that sucks" and "man, that blows," were posted in major meme communities on Reddit such as /r/me_irl ^[13] and /r/dankmemes^[14] and on Instagram.^[15]

2022 Twitter Resurgence

On April 10th, 2022, Twitter^[16] gimmick account Images That Make You Feel Pain (@ManMilk2) reposted the Holy Shit That Blows Man meme, with the post gaining over 6,600 retweets and 110,000 likes in two months (tweet and image shown below, left and right).

In the following weeks, the image was widely circulated on Twitter and other social media, serving as a catalyst for the resurgence of the meme. On April 20th, Twitter^[17]^[18] users @hhhhhhhhhhhhhq7 and @ATL_FATAL made the earliest found pun replies to go viral, replying to Snicker's official comment on the "Dick Vein:
"https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/snickers-dick-vein meme with Well on That Note and Well in That Case images that gained over 160 retweets and 4,600 likes and 80 retweets and 3,600 replies in one month (shown below, left). Additionally, @hhhhhhhhhhhhhq7 hid their reply behind a sensitive content filter, a practice that would become a part of the meme in the following weeks.

Starting in early May 2022, replying to tweets with the words "this says otherwise" and a hidden image of the word "otherwise" became popular on Twitter. For example, on May 3rd, 2022, Twitter^[19] user @TheGrandmaSlayer replied in this way to the official Bungie account, with the reply gaining over 90 retweets and 5,900 likes (shown below, center). On May 23rd, Twitter^[20] user @JUANMUCH69 replied in this way to soccer player Alphonso Davies, with the tweet gaining over 80 retweets and 4,100 likes in one month (shown below, right).

The trend continued on Twitter in through May and June 2022, with the pun replies primarily being posted under viral tweets. Puns used as a part of this trend during this period include This Picture Says Otherwise, Let That Sink In, Well in That Case, Well That Sucks, Holy Shit That Sucks Man, This Picture Begs to Differ and I Was Thinking the Same Thing.