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What Does 'Women ☕' Mean? The Hidden Code Behind The 'Women Coffee Emoji' Meme Explained
Out of all cliché comments that we saw become viral in 2022, none became as ubiquitous while remaining as cryptic as "Women ☕." While the meaning of the catchphrase is not that difficult to decipher (laughing at women, duh), the way it came to be still remains a mystery to many.
If you're willing to explore the origins of "Women ☕" and learn about its counterpart "Men 🍺," stick with us for this explainer.
Where Does ‘Women ☕’ Come From?
Women ☕ is a reference to a scene from a popular Team Fortress 2 animated video by YouTuber Tipsy Duck. At the start of the video, two men (Team Fortress 2 characters Medic and Soldier) are standing in a yard, coffee in their hands, as a woman (Scout's Mom) walks by. Medic humphs and remarks, "Women," with both men proceeding to laugh while taking sips from their cup and coffee pot.
Hmpf, women. Hahahahahaha!
In 2021, a clip from the video of just Medic and Soldier saying "Women" and laughing was uploaded to YouTube. It was that clip that in September 2022 gained popularity as a video reaction for clips of women acting cringy, irrational or in another chuckle-worthy manner. In late 2021, the format started spreading to TikTok, becoming a recognized meme on the app by February 2022.
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7033393397335346438
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7069871089211444526
And as the format became popular, it didn't take long for it to evolve into the notorious 'Women ☕' comment to be spammed on videos of women doing irrational or straight-up stupid things.
What Is ‘Women ☕’?
"Women ☕" is a phrase that usually gets commented on videos of women doing things that can be perceived as stupid, irrational, stereotypical of women or inconsiderate — not unlike commenting that the woman in the video is "taking an L."
At the end of the day, "Women ☕" is just a snarkier, more conspicuous way of saying "Woman Moment," another meme that has been used for the same purposes. But unlike Woman Moment, "Women ☕" has not (yet) been labeled misogynistic.
‘Women ☕’ Usage In Memes
The clip of Medic and Soldier laughing and sipping coffee has been used as a video reaction format, used to laugh at women doing stupid things. The "Women ☕" comment, which is a reference to the video, has been used for the same purposes, but in comments.
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7090453270367407361
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7090966667919953153
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7080026670303808774
What Does the ☕ Mean?
As "Women ☕" comment achieved widespread recognition, it has sometimes been shortened to simply ☕ to convey the same idea. If you know, you know!
What Is 'Men 🍺'?
A counterpart to Women ☕, Men 🍺 has also been appearing in comments on TikTok and other social media. Unlike the original, Men 🍺 is instead typically a positive comment used to celebrate massive and medium-sized Ws accomplished by males.
For the full history of Women ☕, be sure to check out our entry for more information.
