Thanks, Obama

"Thanks, Obama" began as a genuine grievance. In December 2009, on the conservative blog Authentic Connecticut Republican, a demotivational poster appeared featuring someone flipping off the camera with the caption "Thanks, Obama." It was meant to channel frustration at the new administration.

The internet, as it does, had other plans.

By 2012, the phrase had been fully reclaimed as satire. Reddit's r/ThanksObama became a repository for infomercial fail GIFs—people struggling with plastic wrap, dropping food trays, fumbling simple tasks—all sarcastically blamed on the 44th President. Stubbed your toe? Thanks, Obama. Coffee too hot? Thanks, Obama. The joke was in the absurdity: the leader of the free world, somehow responsible for your inability to operate a can opener.

The meme peaked in 2013-2014, becoming shorthand for mocking anyone who blamed their problems on forces clearly beyond politics. It spawned over 14,500 subscribers and hundreds of submissions. Then something unprecedented happened.

On February 12, 2015, Obama appeared in a BuzzFeed video. He tried to dunk a cookie in a glass of milk. It didn't fit. He looked at the camera and said: "Thanks, Obama."

The subreddit immediately declared mission accomplished and effectively shut down. When the target of a meme adopts it with perfect comedic timing, there's nowhere left to go. Obama didn't just acknowledge the joke—he delivered the punchline better than anyone else ever could.

Thanks, Obama. For everything, including killing this meme yourself.