The Brief: A popular meme is used to comically suggesting that someone is so attractive that it could affect people's sexual orientations.
DEEP DIVE
These memes consist of three images, one of YouTuber Amy Ordman captioned “I’m not straight,” one of a person or character, and one of Amy Ordman captioned “ok maybe I am straight.” These images, when used together suggest that the person in the middle image is so attractive that they could alter how someone understands their sexual orientation.
The images of Amy Ordman come from two videos she’s made, one that was titled “I’M NOT A LESBIAN,” in which she explains that she prefers to use the term “gay” to personally identify herself rather than “lesbian.” A year later, she posted a vide0 titled “OK MAYBE I AM A LESBIAN” where she explains that she has changed her mind over time about which term she prefers to use. She says that while “gay” is her first choice of words to characterize her sexual orientation, that lesbian is accurate as well. The videos are both positive and personal as Ordman discusses her reasoning behind choosing which labels to use for herself.
Variations of memes that include these images, which are particularly popular on Reddit swap the word “lesbian” with “straight.” They usually depict a man or a male character as the image in the middle. The joke within these memes is that the person depicted is so hot as to make someone question whether or not they identify as straight. Other versions flip the order of the images, implying that a person is so unattractive that it would affect whether or not someone is attracted to all people of that gender. These memes rely on inaccurate ideas about someone’s sexuality changing because of a single person’s appearance, with layers of irony and absurdity to the concept.
Number 1 from r/dankmemes
Some of these memes edit the captions further to show someone changing their mind more generally: