Bitches Love X

About

“Bitches Love X” is an image macro series based on the phrasal template “I got that bitch (X), bitches love (X),” in which X represents any object, place or entity that may be deemed desirable by the aforementioned “bitches.” One of the more versatile snowclone jokes, this expression can be applied to a wide range of situations, advocating anything that is hype-worthy. In this context, the label “bitches” is used as a mass noun to address any group of audience or viewers, regardless of gender.

Origin

The phrase “Bitches Love X” is derived from a quote first heard in episode 11 of the first season (“Let’s Nab Oprah”) of the animated TV series The Boondocks^[1]. The episode originally aired on February 12th, 2006 on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. The character, voiced by Charlie Murphy^[19], comments on texting with the line “I sent that bitch a smiley face, bitches love smiley faces.”

Gin Rummy: Let’s go, Ed.
Wuncler III: Hold up, my nigga. Hold up.
Gin Rummy: Go time, nigga! Let’s go!
Wuncler III: I sent that bitch a smiley face. Bitches love smiley faces.

Image Macro

Following the broadcast of the episode, this quote was repeated several times as non sequitur comments on a blog post about rapper Tupac Shakur’s death in 2006^[20] and on the Wu Tang Corps forum^[3] in 2007. Twice that year, the phrase was also given as a piece of advice on how to court someone via texting on the Phantasy Star Online Forums^[21] and the Body Building Forums.^[22]

The phrase was turned into a set of image macros featuring stock photographs^[2] of a man and a woman sitting at desks in the summer of 2007. One of the first places this set was seen was on humor site My Confined Space^[4] on June 10th, 2007. In August, just the first half was reposted to photo sharing site EvilMilk^[23], where it has been viewed over 76,000 times.

Spread

On March 1st, 2008, a personal blog was registered under the domain name BitchesLoveSmileyFaces.com.^[9] Both the original macro and its counter-response have been reposted on Reddit^[5] and Tumblr^[6], as well as discussion sites like the Bodybuilding^[7] and SadFace^[8] forums. There are over a dozen Facebook pages^[10] and groups dedicated to celebrating the memorable quote from The Boondocks, with the most notable page carrying over 51,000 Facebook likes.^[11]

While the phrase inspired a number of derivative images throughout 2009 and 2010, the series didn’t take off until September 2010 when people on Tumblr^[6] began using the phrasal template “I sent that bitch an X, bitches love X.” These types of macros were covered by several internet humor blogs like MemeBase^[12], Cheezburger^[13], FunnyJunk^[14] and BuzzFeed^[15], as well as Reddit^[5] and Digg.^[16]

Notable Examples

Usage: Bitch vs. Bitches

While the word “bitch” still carries an insulting tone in most circumstances, its plural noun form has been increasingly used as a casual way to address one’s close friends, associates and even families, with connotation similar to that of “fellas.” Such non-derogatory use of “bitches” in plural form was first documented on Urban Dictionary^[17] in early 2005:

Originally used to describe women; now a days literally can be said to any1 ..anytime ..anyplace for any reason. For example:

“wutup bitches!”
“u guys r bitches!”
“it’s celebration, bitches!”

When the word is used as an insult, it sets apart an individual, conveying feelings of hostility. When used in this plural form, the sentiment can be one of good humor to refer to a group of close friends and associates. While there are exceptions to this application^[18], the context of the situation can affect the meaning of the word “bitches.”

While the exact origin of this change in tone is unknown, it can also be attributed to the reclamation of the word “bitch” by the feminist movement^[24] and popularization in hip hop lyrics or in television and movies where “bitch” is used for emphasis.^[25] On the internet, the word “bitches” has been heard through several catchphrase memes, such as Bitches don’t know about X and Bitches leave.

Search Interest

External References