Wojak

The ‘Wojak’ meme continues to be the sonorous language for the unfocused, the nihilistic, and the isolated.

Crippling loneliness. Nauseous melancholy. Aching regrets. No, I’m not talking about NSW’s second lockdown. I’m talking about the Wojak meme – the emotive-focused MS Paint illustration with polarizing levels of social resonance.

Exploring emotions appears to be a reoccurring theme in the meme verse. There’s the ‘we live in a society’ phenomenon, the ‘vibe check’ mantra, hell, even the ‘mentally I’m here’ meme had its heyday.

Yet somehow, the Wojak meme outlives the others, continuing to spread its doomer-gloom across Facebook groups and sketchy 4chan threads everywhere. But to explain Wojak’s longevity, we must start at the beginning.

Origins

The sad, socially fragile man we now know as ‘Wojak’ was born in 2009, drawn into the pages of the comic series I Wish I Was At Home (Playing Videogames). The image portrayed the man alone in the corner of a party, with text describing his inner turmoil.

Thanks to a Polish imageboard poster, the face became known as Wojak, who reposted the image with the file name, ‘ciepla twarz.jpg’, meaning ‘warm face’.

In true intertextual fashion, the Wojak started getting paired with many popular 4chan expressions, such as >tfw no gf, which stands for ‘that feeling when no girlfriend’.

Wojak was also popularised with the phrase, ‘I know that feel, bro’, which featured two Wojak’s in a tight embrace. For me, the hug evokes the helplessness of Billy Joel’s Piano Man – “they’re sharing a drink called loneliness, but it’s better than drinking alone!”

Wojak existed with these formats for years and years, slowly becoming the unanimous visual pairing for comedic observations regarding male grief and emptiness.

The meme even occasionally got paired with Pepe the Frog, which Brian Feldman of Intelligencer described as a “platonic romance within the memescape”.

Then in 2018, almost ten years after its debut, Wojak’s character received a significant update. Was Wojak finally going to crawl out of his bedsheets to find true love again? … Absolutely not. In fact, the poor man had just become the internet weapon of choice to troll Liberals and Social Justice Warriors.

The NPC Wojak

The 2018 update featured Wojak reimagined as an NPC (non-playable character), now being used by Trump supporters to stir the pot.

Why and how? Well, 4chan discussions were arguing that liberals fail to have an ‘internal monologue’ and that their herd-like mentality made them incapable of making decisions, much like a video game NPC.

This, of course, is a sweeping generalisation and should be taken with a grain of salt, or a drop of truth. However, it didn’t stop online trolls from causing a scene. Around 1500 Twitter accounts (maybe more) had the Wojak NPC as their profile picture at its zenith.

Screenshots – New York Times

These people pretended to be Liberals to spread serious disinformation about the 2018 Election. It was a sickly social commentary that essentially labelled progressives as zombies. Ironically, the NPC avatar allowed the user to troll without revealing their identity or taking responsibility for their actions. Twitter eventually shut down these NPC accounts following various media exposés.

The Doomer Wojak

The NPC wasn’t the only spinoff Wojak received during 2018. Building upon the original Wojak’s heartbreak and isolation, the ‘Doomer’ was founded, giving the man a beanie and a generous dose of teen angst. Just take a look at this nicotine addled, underslept disaster.

Image: OK Doomer Facebook Page

The doomer is perhaps the most affecting of all the Wojak renditions. It became a way for emotionally repressed teens of the digital era to connect and discuss their issues, even if it was only through irony. The doomer also became a philosophic figure of sorts, influenced by Nihilism and Malthusianism.

Mammoth sized problems like resource availability, climate crisis, overpopulation made life not even worth living for our doomer. But there was also tragedy in his micro world. The Wojak doomer rendition came with a female counterpart, who always chose a ‘Chad’ archetype over our tired Wojak. Such is life.

What can we learn from Wojak?

Let’s exit out of the ironic, rapidly cascading memeverse for a second and ask ourselves what we can take away from Wojak?

Well, we know that the meme is focused on men’s mental health and that it has resonated with millions. We also know that recently, Lifeline had its largest amount of callers in a day.

So, as lockdown turns our days into a mundane blur, we should strive to check up on our friends and family and let them know we’re thinking of them.

Because while Wojak is hilarious, we wouldn’t wish his mental state on our worst enemies.

Wojak Variants People Self Insert As[edit | edit source]

NOTE: this isn’t a hard rule but a general one. retards on the sharty and jarty self insert as soyjaks all the time

The original Wojak, used to convey feelings.

Feels guy

Smug Wojakedit | edit source

Main article: Smug Wojak

A smug variant of Wojak that is based on Wojak and Pepe

Smug Wojak based on Wojak and smug Pepe

Another smug wojak

Crying Wojakedit | edit source

Main article: Crying Wojak

A variant of wojak in which he is crying and has bloodshot eyes. Usually used to depict people who are coping and seething, sometimes dilating

Crying Wojak

Pink Wojakedit | edit source

Main article: Pink Wojak

Wojak from /biz/ commonly depicted as wanting to kill himself after losing money from investments due to the machinations of the Jews and the Bogdanoff twins.

Pink Wojak

Main article: 2smart wojak

A wojak with a highly evolved cranium. His polar opposite is the Brainlet.

2smart Wojak

Doomeredit | edit source

Main article: Doomer

The doomer is an extremely depressed wojak. He is portrayed to weared a black cap and hoodie, having bagged eyes and smoking a cigarette. The doomer is often featured in depressing posts and videos. Doomer is a self-insert and very rarely in ironic use. Coal.

Doomer Wojak

Main article: Depressed Wojak

>Dude I’m so heckin sad XD

Pure coal, like the Doomer wojak

Depressed Wojak

Main article: Psycho Wojak

The pinnacle of self insert dust

Psycho Wojak

Twinkjakedit | edit source

Main article: Twinkjak

Originating on , this variant is usually used as coomer-bait, and almost always is unfunny coal. It therefore should be avoided at all costs unless mocking it.

A Swedish fail variant of twinkjak

Grugedit | edit source

Main article: Grug

Caveman wojak. Even though potraying yourself as a retarded caveman seems backwards self insert coalers do so anyways

Grug

Происхождение

История Сойджека напрямую связана с культурой Nu-male или Soy Boy. Так в американском сленге называют мужчин, лишенных маскулинности. Они, как правило, отвергают привычные гендерные роли, но это никак не влияет на их сексуальную ориентацию.

Термин Soy Boy связан с соевыми бобами, которые содержат фитоэстрогены. По ошибочному мнению, потребление соевых продуктов феминизирует мужчин, снижая их маскулинность. В интернете слово SoyBoy впервые появилось в 2017 году на 4chan. Оно используется в основном как уничижительная оценка и даже как синоним куколдизму.

Параллельно с этим в середине 2010-х годов развивался термин Nu-male. Так начали называть мужчин, “полностью лишенных самоуважения и мужественности”.

Несмотря на негативную трактовку, феномен Soy Boy в 2017-2018 годах стал частью интернет-культуры. Мужчины начали намеренно фотографироваться с открытым ртом, что впоследствии стало мемом.

Popular Wojak Variants[edit | edit source]

The original Wojak, used to convey feelings.

Feels guy

s4s autists made this why do you care?

Smug Wojak based on Wojak and smug Pepea mentally stable version

Crying Wojakedit | edit source

A variant of wojak in which he is crying and has bloodshot eyes. Usually used to depict people who are coping and seething, sometimes dilating

crying wojak

.

One of the many brainlet wojaks

Main article: NPC

NPC

Soyjakedit | edit source

Main article: Soyjak

Soyjak is widely considered to be the best wojak variant and even as the true successor to the original wojak meme. The original soyjak was a classic wojak with added glasses, a scruffy beard, raised eyebrows, and a gaping mouth. Since the original soy wojak, many other ‘jak templates have been created, most of them traced from images of real-life Soy Boys. Soyjak posting and soy quoting have exploded in popularity all over the internet and, along with Gigachad, have become a ubiquitous way to comically depict one’s own opinions and mock those of others.

The original soyjak

The doomer is an extremely depressed wojak. He is portrayed to weared a black cap and hoodie, having bagged eyes and smoking a cigarette. The doomer is often featured in depressing posts and videos. Doomer is a self-insert and very rarely in ironic use. Coal.

Doomer Wojak

The coomer is a wojak with a masturbation addiction. His right arm and hand is portrayed to be significantly larger than his left. He spends most of his day masturbating to extremely fucked up porn.

Coomer Wojak

Twinkjakedit | edit source

Originating on , this variant is usually used as coomer-bait, and almost always is unfunny coal. It therefore should be avoided at all costs unless mocking it.

A Swedish fail variant of twinkjak

Yes Chadedit | edit source

This one is not even a Wojak (NAW), however it is typically portrayed next to one, specifically a seething soyjak asking a question, and the Yes Chad answering with «Yes.» This «wojak variant» is also frequently used by mainstream redditors, so it’s a very common coal, as it’s frequently used by people to portray themselves in a positive light. It originates from the «I’ve got your back and you’ve got mine» meme from 4cuck which had absolutely nothing to do with Wojak. Yes chad is commonly used to self insert.

Yes Chad

Shroomjak/Shrigmaedit | edit source

not to be confused with Troonjak, a subvariant with a similar name.

A forced reddit meme from 4cuck

Started from right wing larping accounts on social media like Telegram, iFunny, etc and grew from there, meant to represent schizo shit and other strangeness.

Eventually became trannyshit after it was discovered by reddit, discord and twitter ironytroons.

Dust.

Shrigma

Coomer coal

Daddy’s girl

Tradwifeedit | edit source

Coal. Probably created by a /pol/ poster, but was soon found by Twitter users who started drawing porn of this wojak.Notice the pattern here?

Tradwife

Brimstone

Doomer girl

Mommy E-thotedit | edit source

>omgsisa, it’s Reddit coal!

Absolute vantablack brimstone. Whether this is a Wojak variant or not is up for debateTemplate:Trvth.

Mommy E-thot

История

Изначально Wojak был ником польского пользователя Sebastian Grodecki из международного раздела немецкого форума Krautchan . Ранее он разместил изображение на доске изображений под названием Vichan с именем файла «twarz.jpg», которое позже стало известно как «Wojak» или «ciepła twarz» (англ. « теплое лицо » ) примерно в мае 2010 года. ]

Часто сопровождается фразой «То чувство, когда» («То чувство, когда»). Он распространился на другие фотоборды, в том числе на 4chan , где в 2011 году приобрело популярность изображение двух обнимающих друг друга Wojaks под заголовком «Я знаю, что чувствую, братан». Лицо Вояка также сопровождалось фразой «Каково это…?» или «Каково это, когда…?» В более поздних вариантах часто использовался изначально не связанный мем, известный как лягушка Пепе. Мем Wojak благодаря своей популярности распространился на другие международные имиджборды , такие как Pastachan в Италии или Dobrochan в России .

В 2018 году появились версии Вояка, играющего в « сойбой » — термин, используемый на 4chan для высмеивания молодых людей с мальчишеской внешностью и характером, которые навязчиво потребляют видеоигры или детские фильмы и/или отстаивают левые идеологии, используя детскую риторику. Во время краха криптовалюты в году розовые Wojaks широко использовались трейдерами на доске 4chan / biz / , чтобы выразить свое недовольство потерями, связанными с падением цен. ]

Wojak Meme Character Faces: A Diverse Cast

One of the reasons Wojak has become so popular is the sheer variety of character faces available. These variations allow users to express a broad spectrum of emotions and situations, making Wojak an essential meme for online communication. Here are some of the most popular Wojak character faces:

1. Classic Wojak

The original Wojak character face is a simple, expressionless figure that can be used in various contexts. This face is the foundation of all other Wojak memes and serves as the starting point for countless adaptations.

2. Feels Guy

Feels Guy, or Sad Wojak, is a character face that represents sadness and despair. This Wojak meme typically features tears streaming down the character’s face, making it an ideal choice for expressing disappointment, heartbreak, or melancholy.

3. Brainlet Wojak

Brainlet Wojak is characterized by a small, underdeveloped head, symbolizing a lack of intelligence or understanding. This meme face is often used to mock individuals or ideas that the creator finds foolish or uninformed.

4. Coomer Wojak

Coomer Wojak, with its wild hair and crazed expression, represents someone overly obsessed with a specific topic or hobby. This character face is often used to satirize individuals who are excessively focused on a single aspect of their lives.

5. Doomer Wojak

Depicting a character dressed in all black with a despondent expression, Doomer Wojak embodies feelings of hopelessness and despair. This meme face is typically used to express a grim outlook on the future or a sense of disillusionment with the world.

6. Zoomer Wojak

Zoomer Wojak is a more youthful and energetic version of the character, representing the younger generation. This meme face is often used to poke fun at generational differences and the unique traits of younger individuals.

7. Chad Wojak

Chad Wojak is a confident, muscular, and charismatic character face. This meme is used to represent an idealized version of masculinity, often in contrast to other Wojak faces that depict less confident or successful individuals.

8. Soyjack

Soyjack is a variation of Wojak that features a wide, open-mouthed grin and is often used to mock individuals who are overly excited or enthusiastic about something the meme’s creator finds trivial or unimportant.

9. 30-Year-Old Boomer Wojak

30-Year-Old Boomer Wojak is a character face that portrays an older, more mature version of Wojak, often sporting a beard and a more serious expression. This meme is used to represent the older generation and their perspectives on various topics, sometimes in contrast to the younger Zoomer Wojak.

10. Yes Chad

Yes Chad is a variation of Chad Wojak that is used to express agreement or support for a particular idea or statement. This character face features a confident and assertive expression, embodying a sense of certainty and conviction.

Where did Coomer come from?

The coomer meme is a popular meme on 4chan that blends the word cum with the -oomer suffix. The coomer meme is a way to describe someone who is considered to be a perv or someone who is always thinking about sex.

The doomer is a person who believes that the world is heading towards an apocalyptic destruction. This belief is based on the idea that the world is facing major global problems, such as overpopulation, peak oil, climate change, and pollution, which are all unsolvable and will lead to the downfall of civilization. The doomer is generally pessimistic and fatalistic about the future, and often time they will advocate for prepping or survivalism in order to increase their chances of survival when the apocalypse comes.

Who is the coomer guy

Coomer is considered a variation on Wojak (or Feels Guy), a bald-headed man used in various internet memes, often to express various ironic emotions.

G2 Inventions is a company that specializes in toys, and their latest invention is a dog toy called Zoomer. This toy is unique because it is able to move and make noises just like a real dog. It is also very affordable, costing only $20.

The company was founded by two friends, Peter Greenley and Nick Grisolia, who met while they were both working in the toy industry. They saw an opportunity to create a new kind of toy that would be both fun and affordable, and they decided to go for it.

So far, their company has been a success. Their toy has been very popular with both children and adults, and they have even been featured on television shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

G2 Inventions is changing the toy industry by making affordable, realistic toys that are enjoyable for people of all ages. Their success is a true inspiration, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

What is wojak based on?

The earliest known “Wojak” is a Polish user on the English-speaking board /int/ of the defunct German imageboard Krautchan. This user started posting the image around 2010, often accompanied by lamentations about not having a girlfriend.

Meme Generator is a web-based tool that allows users to quickly and easily create their own visual image meme. In this case, a meme is media content that usually consists of a popular image and typically two sections of text: one at the top and one at the bottom.

Who started the wojak meme

Wojak’s first appearance was in 2010, published by a Christian Grodecki, nicknamed “Wojak”, a Polish user of the now-defunct German imageboard Krautchan. It was in 2011 that the meme found international popularity, in the depiction of the so-called Feels Guy, whose recurring line was “I Know That Feel Bro”.

Doomer Girl is a cartoon woman with black hair, black clothes, and sad eyes ringed with red makeup. She has a lightly sad expression and a permanent blush that give the impression she is bummed, but not dysfunctionally so.

References

1. «Wojak». 9 July 2015. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wojak.
2. ↑ Brown, Elizabeth Nolan. «That Feeling When…» (in en). Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/articles/6152-meme-origins-where-that-feeling-when-got-its-start.
3. ↑ Feldman, Brian. «What 4chan Memes Will Go Mainstream in 2017?». http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2016/12/what-4chan-memes-will-go-mainstream-in-2017.html.
4. Feldman, Brian (13 February 2017). «People Are Arguing About the Size of Their Brains Using MS-Paint Illustrations» (in en-us). https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/02/whomst-is-the-smartest-on-4chan.html.
5. ↑ Alexander, Julia (October 23, 2018). «The NPC meme went viral when the media gave it oxygen». The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/23/17991274/npc-meme-4chan-press-coverage-viral.
6. Sommerlad, Joe. «What is an NPC? The liberal-bashing meme sweeping social media ahead of the US midterms» (in en-US). The Independent. https://www.yahoo.com/news/npc-liberal-bashing-meme-sweeping-113249416.html.
7. ↑ «Why has Twitter banned 1500 accounts and what are NPCs?». BBC News. 17 October 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-45888176.
8. ↑ Roose, Kevin (16 October 2018). «What Is NPC, the Pro-Trump Internet’s New Favorite Insult?». The New York Times. .
9. Bond, Paul (January 13, 2019). «Bill Maher Labeled «NPC» by Conservative Street Artists». https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bill-maher-labeled-npc-by-conservative-street-artists-1175703.
10. Dickson, E. J. (2019-11-08). «How a New Meme Exposes the Far-Right Roots of #NoNutNovember» (in en-US). Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/coomer-meme-no-nut-november-nofap-908676/. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
11. Iskiev, Max (2019-11-11). «Breaking Down the ‘Coomer Pledge’ Taking Over No Nut November 2019» (in en-US). https://stayhipp.com/internet/memes/breaking-down-the-coomer-pledge-taking-over-no-nut-november-2019/.
12. Read, Max (2019-08-01). «Is Andrew Yang the Doomer Candidate?» (in en-us). http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/08/is-andrew-yang-the-doomer-candidate-and-whats-a-doomer.html.
13. Keating, Shannon (11 September 2019). «Against Nihilism» (in en). BuzzFeed News. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/shannonkeating/juuling-nihilism-climate-change-sobriety-euphoria-hope.
14. Knibbs, Kate (17 February 2020). «The Hottest New Literary Genre Is ‘Doomer Lit'» (in en). Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/doomer-lit-climate-fiction/. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
15. ↑ Tiffany, Kaitlyn (3 February 2020). «The Misogynistic Joke That Became a Goth-Meme Fairy Tale». The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/02/doomer-girl-meme-4chan-tumblr-wojak-history/605764/.
16. Martinez, Ignacio (7 January 2020). «Meet ‘Doomer Girl,’ the new voice of a classic meme». The Daily Dot. https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/doomer-girl-meme-rage-comics/.
17. «Meet ‘Doomer Girl,’ the new voice of a classic meme» (in en-US). 2020-01-07. https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/doomer-girl-meme-rage-comics/.
18. Abascal, Luis (4 July 2021). «Basado, charocracia, chad o pesetas y cunetas: así habla el Team Facha» (in Spanish). https://www.elplural.com/politica/basado-charocracia-joseo-habla-team-facha_269959102.
19. West, Ed (14 Aug 2021). «Why the Left can’t meme». https://unherd.com/2021/08/why-the-left-cant-meme/.
20. Rawnsley, Adam (11 Sep 2021). «Afghanistan’s Shitposting Taliban Stan Finds Right-Wing Fame». https://www.thedailybeast.com/afghanistans-shitposting-taliban-stan-malang-khostay-finds-right-wing-fame.
21. Klee, Miles (2020). «‘Soy Face’ Is Real, and It’s Annoying — It Just Needs a Better Name». https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/soy-face-soyboy-face-meme-tiktok.

History [edit]

«Wojak» was originally the nickname of a Polish user on the defunct German imageboard Krautchan, who started posting the image around 2010, often accompanied with lament about not having a girlfriend. According to him, the image originally came from the Polish imageboard vichan, where it was posted with the filename «ciepła twarz.jpg» (‘warm face’). Brian Feldman of Intelligencer describes Wojak’s expression as «pained but dealing with it.»

The image spread to other imageboards, including 4chan, where by 2011 an image of two Wojaks hugging each other under the caption «I know that feel bro» gained popularity. Wojak was also paired with the template phrase «that feel» or «that feel when», shortened to «tfw». Some variants paired him with the character Pepe the Frog (catchphrase «feels good/bad man») in what Feldman describes as a «platonic romance within the memescape».

Известные варианты

NPC

В октябре 2018 года вояк с серым лицом, острым носом и пустым, бесстрастным выражением лица, получивший название «NPC Wojak», стал популярным визуальным представлением для людей, которые не могут думать самостоятельно или принимать собственные решения, сравнивая их с неигровыми. Персонажи — автоматизированные персонажи в видеоигре. NPC Wojak получил известность в сети

Мем привлекла к себе внимание средств массовой информации, первоначально в Kotaku и The New York Times , в связи с его использованием в пародируя стадный менталитет из американских либералов. Такое использование мема приписывают сторонникам Дональда Трампа

Около 1500 аккаунтов в Твиттере, которые выдавали себя за либеральных активистов с мемом NPC в качестве аватара, были заблокированы за якобы распространение дезинформации о выборах в США в 2018 году . 13 января 2019 года консервативный художественный коллектив, известный как «The Faction», захватил рекламный щит для Real Time с Биллом Махером , заменив его изображение изображением NPC Wojak.

Кумер

В ноябре 2019 года «Coomer» Wojak приобрел популярность благодаря тренду « Ноябрь без орехов »

Кумер изображает редакцию Wojak с растрепанными волосами и неопрятной бородой, чтобы привлечь внимание к порноиндустрии. Много популярности этого мема можно отнести к «Coomer Pledge», вирусный интернет — тенденции , которые осмелились людей воздержаться от мастурбации для всех ноября, и изменить их фотографию в образе Coomer , если они не в состоянии .

Doomer

Думер — это макрос изображения и архетип персонажа, впервые появившийся на 4chan . Изображение обычно изображает Вояка в шапочке, курящего сигарету. Этот архетип часто олицетворяет нигилизм и отчаяние с верой в зарождающийся конец света и причинами, варьирующимися от климатического апокалипсиса до пика нефти и (более локально) опиоидной зависимости . Мем впервые появился на доске 4chan / r9k / в сентябре 2018 года.

Соответствующий формат мемов, «doomer girl», начал появляться на 4chan в январе 2020 года, и вскоре он переместился в другие онлайн-сообщества, включая Reddit и Tumblr , часто женщины утверждали, что он от его происхождения. Этот формат описывается The Atlantic как «быстро нарисованная мультяшная женщина с черными волосами, черной одеждой и грустными глазами, обведенными красным макияжем». Персонаж девушки-думер часто появляется в макросах изображения, взаимодействуя с исходным персонажем-думером. Формат часто сравнивают с комиксами о ярости .

Сойджак

Soyjak, контаминация из «сои» и «Wojak» является разновидностью Wojak , который сочетает в себе иллюстрации Wojak стиле с особенностями соевым мальчика или «Nu-мужской». Обычно он используется в онлайн-обсуждениях, таких как 4chan и различные другие сайты и имиджборды, чтобы высмеивать позицию оппонента, цитируя его вместе с изображением Soyjak. Первый пример Soyjak появился в декабре 2017 года на 4chan’s / int / board. Он быстро приобрел известность на сайте, породив множество правок и вариантов, обычно высмеивающих интересы, связанные с «соевыми мальчиками», включая использование таких сайтов, как Reddit или 9gag , игры на Nintendo Switch или рогоносцы, среди прочего. Помимо оригинального варианта «Сойджак», редактирования «Вояка» с очками и взлохмаченной бородой, стало популярным отслеживать реальных людей, которых воспринимали как соответствующих стереотипу «соевого мальчика». Распространенным примером является фотография, опубликованная Джоном Обергом в Твиттере в который он и еще один мужчина указывают на вывеску Beyond Fried Chicken возле ресторана KFC .