Past a Certain Age a Man Without a Family Can Be A Bad Thing
Part of a series on True Detective. [View Related Entries]
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About
Past a Certain Age a Man Without a Family Can Be a Bad Thing refers to a series of caption memes based on a scene in which True Detective character Martin Hart (portrayed by actor Woody Harrelson) is talking about his partner, remarking that a man past a certain age who doesn't have a family can be a red flag. In 2024, the scene achieved virality as a caption format and phrasal template, using the phrase "Past a Certain Age a Man Without / With X Can Be a Bad Thing," with users captioning a still image of Hart with jokes about men "past a certain age" keeping or trying to get into jobs and occupations usually associated with young adults or children.
Origin
On January 12th, 2014, episode one, titled "The Long Bright Dark," of season one of the anthology crime drama series True Detective premiered.[1] In the episode, the character Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson) talks about his former partner Rustin Cohle, remarking that past a certain age having no family can be a bad thing (scene shown below).
Yeah, I’ll tell you guys, and believe me, past a certain age, a man without a family can be a bad thing.
On June 17th, 2024, X[2] user @twocitizenships posted the earliest found meme based on the scene, making a joke about men who still have a mood board past a certain age. The post (shown below) received over 160 likes in eight months.
Spread
On August 28th, 2024, X[3] user @loganclarkhall shared the earliest viral meme based on the format. The post (shown below) garnered over 590 reposts and 12,000 likes in six months.
The format saw more use in mid-September 2024. For example, on September 14th, X[4] user @mbirdcollector made a version about men who listen to Chappell Roan and Boygenius, which received over 860 reposts and 16,000 likes in five months (shown below).
The format regained online popularity in February 2025 after X[5] user @HighyieldHarry posted a meme on February 9th, 2025, about one's job involving Microsoft Excel based on the format. The post (shown below) received over 140 reposts and 4,700 likes, with more memes based on the format following in the next few days.
Various Examples
Template
Search Interest
External References
[1] IMDb – The Long Bright Dark
[2] X – @twocitizenships
[3] X – @loganclarkhall
[4] X – @mbirdcollector
[5] X – @HighyieldHarry
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