The internet is a vast ocean of emotions, expressed through a myriad of memes. Among these, the Crying Cat Thumbs Up, also known as Thumbs Up Sad Cat, stands out as a particularly poignant and relatable reaction image. This meme features a cat, its eyes digitally manipulated to appear tearful, yet defiantly giving a thumbs up. It’s a visual representation of inner turmoil masked by outward compliance, a feeling many internet users connect with. Like its predecessor, the popular Crying Cat meme, this iteration amplifies the sadness with an added layer of reluctant agreement or forced positivity, making it a versatile tool for online communication across platforms like Reddit and Twitter.
The Genesis of a Viral Feline: Origin of the Meme
While the concept of sad-looking cats has been circulating online for years, the specific combination of tears and a thumbs up has a more recent origin. To understand the Crying Cat Thumbs Up meme, it’s helpful to look back at its roots and precursors.
Early Whispers of Sad Cats
The foundation for the Crying Cat Thumbs Up meme can be traced back to the original Crying Cat, or Schmuserkadser. This meme, which emerged in June 2014, features cats with digitally added teary eyes, creating an exaggerated expression of sadness. Interestingly, the earliest known Crying Cat image was created by photoshopping the already well-known Serious Cat meme, highlighting how internet memes often evolve and remix existing content. This initial Crying Cat quickly gained traction, generating numerous variations and solidifying the image of a sad feline in the online consciousness.
The earliest known usage of the Crying Cat was published by an anonymous Meme Generator user on June 11th, 2014
The image is a photoshopped version of Serious Cat
The “Thumbs Up Sad Cat” is Born (2019)
The Thumbs Up Crying Cat meme itself officially came into existence in June 2019. A Reddit user named IAMAdumbgirl posted the now-iconic photoshopped image on the subreddit r/sadcats, a community dedicated to melancholic felines. The image was simply captioned “sad thumbs up,” a straightforward yet effective label for the feeling it conveyed. This post resonated strongly with the r/sadcats community, quickly amassing over 1,700 upvotes and demonstrating the meme’s immediate appeal.
Redditor IAMAdumbgirl posted the original photoshopped image captioned sad thumbs up to r/sadcats
Discord’s JabGood Emote (Earlier Variant)
Interestingly, an even earlier iteration of a sad cat giving a thumbs up appeared on Discord in August 2017. A Discord user on the JabGood server created an emote called “JabGood,” featuring a cat with teary eyes and a thumbs up. While not as widely circulated as the Reddit post, this Discord emote predates the popular Thumbs Up Crying Cat and suggests an earlier independent emergence of the concept within online communities.
Discord user posted the earliest known variant of the meme in the JabGood server, naming the emote JabGood
From Reddit to Global Reactions: The Spread of the Meme
The Crying Cat Thumbs Up meme truly took off in April 2020, becoming a widely adopted reaction image across major social media platforms. Its spread highlights how memes can quickly transition from niche communities to mainstream internet culture.
Twitter and Reddit Embrace the Sad Thumbs Up (2020)
In April 2020, the meme exploded in popularity on both Twitter and Reddit. It became a go-to reaction for expressing feelings of sadness, disappointment, or ironic acceptance. Early examples of its use on Twitter include a response by user @SaoryEmanoelle to a tweet about unrequited feelings, perfectly encapsulating the meme’s blend of melancholy and resignation. Similarly, on Reddit, users in subreddits like r/EDanonymemes began using it to express relatable but often humorous situations involving inner conflict and outward normalcy.
Twitter user @SaoryEmanoelle responded to @RespectfulMemes post about thinking only of someone else to which they responded with the reaction image captioned, They not thinking about us though lmao
Redditor edmemesthrowawaybby posted the image to r/EDanonymemes and captioned it When youre chilling with your BF and he asks if youre good but all you can think about is how fat your thighs look when you cuddle
Dank Memes and Mainstream Adoption
By late July 2020, the Crying Cat Thumbs Up meme had permeated even broader internet circles, reaching the influential r/dankmemes subreddit. A post by Redditor mijuzz7 using the meme in a gaming context went viral, garnering over 47,000 upvotes in just three days. This widespread adoption on r/dankmemes signaled the meme’s arrival as a staple reaction image, usable in countless scenarios to express a mix of sadness, irony, and reluctant agreement.
Redditor mijuzz7 used Thumbs Up Crying Cat in a captioned post to r/dankmemes that accumulated over 47,000 points
Understanding the Meme’s Charm: Examples and Interpretations
The enduring appeal of the Crying Cat Thumbs Up meme lies in its versatility and its ability to capture complex emotions in a simple image. It’s used across a wide range of situations, often to express feelings of:
- Sadness with acceptance: Acknowledging a negative situation but signaling a reluctant willingness to go along with it.
- Ironic positivity: Using a thumbs up to feign optimism in the face of disappointment or hardship.
- Inner conflict: Representing a disparity between outward compliance and inner turmoil.
- Humorous self-deprecation: Making light of one’s own sadness or misfortune.
Here are some examples illustrating the meme’s diverse applications:
soma @sjhaydari im sad
People in 2020: “Bats are the worst! They ruined our lives!
Sea Magic June 29 · O Me watching my baby tag someone else in memes
Me after seeing a spider: Ew, f— off! The spider who protects me of mosquitos
f1 @whoisf1· Apr 25 damn i think i found out the new meta on twitter giving away to 5 people who will retweet this tweet picking in 5 weeks gl TheMisteurG @TheMisteurG Replying to @whoisf1 1:22 PM · Apr 25, 2020 · Twitter for Android
Me:
Why We Love the “Crying Cat Thumbs Up”: The Meme’s Resonance
The popularity of the Crying Cat Thumbs Up meme speaks to a broader trend in internet culture – the embrace of vulnerability and the humorous expression of negative emotions. In a digital world often curated for positivity, this meme offers a refreshing dose of relatable melancholy. It resonates because it acknowledges the often-contradictory nature of human feelings: we can be sad and disappointed, yet still feel the need to carry on, to give a thumbs up even when we’re crying inside. This duality, captured perfectly by a tearful cat giving a thumbs up, is what makes this meme so enduring and universally appealing.
Conclusion: The Enduring Appeal of the Crying Cat Thumbs Up
From its humble beginnings on Reddit and Discord to its widespread adoption across the internet, the Crying Cat Thumbs Up meme has cemented its place in the online lexicon. It’s more than just a funny cat picture; it’s a visual shorthand for a complex emotional state, blending sadness, acceptance, and a touch of irony. As long as people experience the bittersweet moments of life, and want to express them online, the Crying Cat Thumbs Up meme will likely remain a relevant and relatable reaction for years to come.
