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Lightning Volcano meme format depicting two men posing in front of a volcano that's being struck by lightning.

Lightning Volcano Photo Op

Part of a series on Object Labeling. [View Related Entries]

Updated Aug 30, 2021 at 04:58PM EDT by Zach.

Added Aug 30, 2021 at 08:05AM EDT by Adam B..

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About

Lightning Volcano Photo Op is an exploitable image macro of two men posing for a picture, seemingly unaware that lightning is striking an erupting volcano in the background. Since 2017, the format is used to show the way people will ignore larger and more important matters to focus on smaller and more personal matters, typically by using the image as an object-labeling meme.

Origin

The earliest documented use of the photo as a meme was on August 18th, 2017, when it was submitted to the subreddit /r/photoshopbattles,[1] a community dedicated to manipulating images. The original post received more than 28,000 upvotes in six months, and the most popular photoshopped images received hundreds of upvotes each (two examples seen below).



Spread

In the following days, the image continued to spread to other sites and platforms through a range of memes. On August 19th, 2017, Instagram[2] meme account the.couch.whisperer uploaded a version of the meme about white people. The image received more than 12,000 likes in four years (seen below).


White people will go hiking on an active volcano during a lightning storm but throw away sandwich meat one day after the expiration date @the.couch.whisperer

The meme was rarely used for the next three years, but it experienced a resurgence after August 10th, 2020, when Reddit user ControversialBuffalo uploaded a version of the meme about video game side quests to /r/dankmemes.[3] The post received over 33,000 upvotes in six months (shown below).


The main quest line Me getting married to my favourite NPC

On October 30th, 2020, Reddit user MrGrouchy05 posted an example of the meme about Alaska to /r/memes.[4] The meme received over 115,000 upvotes in six months (seen below).


The United States going to S--- Alaska

Various Examples


The villain destroying the world in the main story line Me collecting 10 flowers for the garlic farmer so he can make it up to his wife Wanda and Loki expanding the multiverse sam and bucky fixing the boat together
The main quest line me doing sidequests with my favorite partner

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Search Interest

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External References

[1] Reddit – PsBattle: Well-timed photo behind a volcano

[2] Instagram – the.couch.whisperer

[3] Reddit – The apocalypse can wait, my waifu can't!

[4] Reddit – Any late night redditors out there?

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