About

Versus Pooping, also known as VS Pooping, is the name given to an exploitable meme format in which a picture of a bathroom with two toilets facing each other is proceeded by two images of people facing each other. The point of the image is to suggest that the two characters are engaged in a competitive 1v1 pooping match, as seen by the often pained or strained expressions on their faces. While it often uses real-world people, such as Greta Thunberg in one of the most well-known examples, it often employs the use of fictional characters, such as Senator Armstrong.

Origin

The exact first images of the bathroom are somewhat obscured but first appeared online in 2016. On January 12th, 2016, an image of the bathroom was posted to Imgur^[1] by an unknown poster, captioning the image as "Super Saiyan Pooping Contest" (shown below).

However, a year later on June 22nd, 2017, a second, slightly different image of the bathroom was posted to Imgur^[2] again, also by an anonymous user. This more recent upload had a similar caption that read, "Uhhh… I guess everyone needs a pooping buddy?," eceiving over 400 views in four years (shown below).

Spread

The first use of the image as a meme template involving pictures of others in a top panel was on May 9th, 2020, by Redditor^[3] u/TheNeonJudgement, who uploaded a version using Greta Thunberg and the Trying to Hold a Fart Next to a Cute Girl in Class meme, earning 360 upvotes in six months (shown below).

A different version of the meme, while still using the same punchline, was also uploaded onto Reddit^[4] on April 26th, 2020, by Redditor SuperVermiceli, who gained over 2,000 upvotes in six months. While the punchline is the same, the bathroom used in the first image is not, although they are still facing each other as is typical of the meme format (shown below).

Various Examples

Template

Search Interest

External References