About

Filename Threads are threads common on the imageboard 4chan, in which the posters post out-of-context images, often of animated shows such as The Simpsons, Futurama, or Spongebob, and change the filename of the image to be a reference or allusion.

Origin

Researching

Filename threads originally begun with people intentionally mislabeling pictures, but it wasn't until April 16th, 2008, when the earliest archived Filename Thread appeared titled "Subtled Filenames"^[1] and was posted on /v/. Unlike later filename threads, the pictures weren't based around a specific show, but instead tended to be re-titled reaction images.

Spread

The threads have become popular on multiple 4chan boards, such as /v/ with the Simpsons^[4][5][6] and Futurama^[2] threads as well as /vp/ with Spongebob^[3] threads and /a/ with anime.

Although Filename Threads are more often using animated shows screenshots, many threads just use regular images that are re-titled^[7].

External References