The Brief: Popular on several social media platforms, "ok ima fight these/damn these got hands" memes showcase scenarios where people are surprised by how challenging something is.
DEEP DIVE
‘Ok Ima Fight These’ Memes -Boxer Drinking Water
Image macro memes featuring animations of a boxer with his hands up and then drinking water started appearing on social media in September 2020. They were originally paired with variations of the text “ok ima fight these thoughts” followed by “damn this hard” or “damn brain got hands.”
These memes, which can be found on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Reddit, and Facebook, use the boxer to represent someone trying to fight something in their lives or in society. Typically, the subjects of these memes find that their opponent is stronger than they had anticipated.
boxer ok ima fight these demons stopping for water break damn this trauma is way more deep rooted than I thought pic.twitter.com/arGXtrJ050
— reactions (@reactjpg) October 29, 2020
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TikTok: Gender Norms & Capitalism
In December 2020, TikTok user @parkertozier created a sound from a boxer drinking water image macro meme, saying “ok ima fight these gender norms,” followed by “damn, these gender norms got hands!” Their sound has since been used in over 21,000 TikToks where people illustrate the obstacles they face while challenging traditional gender roles.
@parkertozier Reply to @internetcontent
@baddie2822
@tpose_queen I love this audio #fyp #funny #viral #trend #gendernorms #gender
Inspired by @parkertoizer, another iteration of the meme features a sound by @lillias saying “ok ima fight this capitalist mode of production” and then “damn, this capitalist mode of production got hands!” Her sound has been used in over 1,100 videos.
@lillias LMAO it wasn’t its own sound now it is, cred to @parkertozier 4 the hilarious gender norms sound! pls use this as you wish, I’m expecting iPhone jokes
@bunnybiddies i really can’t afford to shop sustainably and most thrift stores or sustainable places don’t have my size