Kid Named X
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About
Kid Named X or Guys Named X refers to a series of wordplay memes in which various idioms are humorously reinterpreted as if they were addressed to a school student named in a very specific way. The format gained popularity on Reddit in late September 2020, also spreading to TikTok.
Origin
One of the best-known early examples of this joke format is the "I Was Blowing Bubbles" joke.[1]
A duck, a pigeon, and a chicken all walk into a courtroom…
The judge asked the duck, "What is your crime?"
The duck responds, "I was blowing bubbles in front of City Hall."
The judge says, "There's no crime committed here, you're free to go."
The judge then asks the pigeon, "What is your crime?"
The pigeon responds, "I was also blowing bubbles in front of City Hall."
The judge looks a little confused but finally says, "There's no crime committed here, you're also free to go."
Lastly, the chicken walks up to the judge, and the judge asks, "What is your crime?"
The chicken, first looking back at the pigeon and the duck, then turning to the judge says, "I'm bubbles."
On September 19th, 2019, Redditor[2] -OriginalName_ posted the earliest known viral meme that humorously reinterpreted a saying in a way as if it concerned a person named in a specific way. The Ainsley Harriot meme, based on the Winston Churchill saying "History is written by the victors," received over 43,700 upvotes in /r/dankmemes in six months (shown below).
Spread
The format did not see further spread until on September 29th, 2019, Redditor[3] Luke7822 posted an Anthony Adams Rubbing Hands meme based on the joke to /r/dankmemes (shown below). The post received over 9,900 upvotes in six months, with a September 30th repost[4] in /r/memes gaining an additional 19,400 upvotes.
In the following weeks, the format gained a significant presence in meme communities on Reddit. For example, on September 30th Redditor[5] UnconventionalD4C copied the caption in a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure meme that received over 5,700 upvotes in six months (shown below, left). An October 20th, 2020, meme by Redditor[6] Whitey37 expanding on the joke received over 19,500 upvotes in the same period (shown below, right).
In the following months, more variations of the meme were created on Reddit and TikTok, with some of the most popular including "Kid named Everyone," "Kid named Don't," and "Kid named Paint."
Related Memes
Kid Named Finger
Kid Named Finger is a parody meme format that combines elements of Mikeposting with the Kid Named X meme format and involves referring to Mike Ehrmantraut as "kid named finger" or "finger." The parody format gained initial popularity in the /r/okbuddychicanery subreddit in early April 2022 before spreading further in mid-May.
Various Examples
Search Interest
External References
[1] Funny & Jokes – Blowing Bubbles
[4] Reddit – Tell em to bring me my money
[6] Reddit – Why you gotta do dis?? T_T
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