Look, meme culture is pretty bizarre. No one is denying that. The newest entry into the meme cannon is a particularly strange one, known as the "flat stomach."
Put simply, a person describes their situation then shows what's in their belly using a simplistic ASCII drawing of a person's midsection in profile. Yes, it's strange, but people keep tweeting it and now we're strangely hungry.
It all began with a tweet from @itsJWolfe, who showed the contrast between his desire for a flat stomach and his delicious eating habits:
Me: I want a flat stomach My stomach | \ | / | \ | \ |… https://t.co/vZEZk4bMMV— J Wolfe🥀 (@J Wolfe🥀) 1553210723.0
From there, the meme quickly took off. Many people made self-deprecating jokes, and others referenced pop-culture.
an inside look at Danny Devito's stomach | | | | | \ |… https://t.co/Ef42tf7yQy— Danny Devito Facts (@Danny Devito Facts) 1553425596.0
Me: I want a flat stomach My stomach: | \ | / | \ | \ |… https://t.co/trtaM51dUp— Emperadora 🥃 (@Emperadora 🥃) 1553339247.0
Me: Being vegan is so good for you I just have so much energy My stomach | \ | / |… https://t.co/YDZByw8XAr— Hail Seitan (@Hail Seitan) 1553254016.0
This is the perfect meme for people who wanted to draw what's in their belly?
Me: I want a flat stomach My stomach: | \ | / | \ | \ |… https://t.co/M7XgoBVVca— ᵐᵃʳᵏ'ˢ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳᵐᵉˡᵒⁿ (@ᵐᵃʳᵏ'ˢ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳᵐᵉˡᵒⁿ) 1553339213.0
Some examples of the meme were unexpectedly sweet...
me: i want a flat stomach my stomach when i see u: | \ | / | \ |… https://t.co/tBjuivKqj6— la rata cagona de willy toledo (@la rata cagona de willy toledo) 1553376475.0
...or even more bizarre than the rest.
my mom: why the fuck are there random patches on the yard again my stomach: | \ | / |… https://t.co/kIrUIxVfPe— Ragonius (@Ragonius) 1553382276.0
Grendel’s stomach after he left the mead hall: | / | \ | \ | 💀💀💀\ |… https://t.co/U32PtAmPWy— ruby🦎 (@ruby🦎) 1553524409.0
Sometimes you just need some milk, wine, and cheese.
Me: I want a flat stomach My stomach: | \ | / | \ | \ |… https://t.co/wLEE7U2A21— CrackerBarrelCheese (@CrackerBarrelCheese) 1553528179.0
my stomach after i drink a bunch of water: | \ | / | \ |… https://t.co/61rh1nqMVE— . (@.) 1553534176.0
One Twitter user was brave enough to call the meme out on its ridiculousness.
| | | | | \ | \ | Has \ | anyone \ | e… https://t.co/mAKIBag09T— cool cud (@cool cud) 1553528608.0
Of course, if you're going to talk about things being in people's bellies, using the meme to reference pregnancy was only a matter of time.
my mom when she was pregnant with me: | | | | | \ | \ |… https://t.co/hRurmM0Ytm— dirt prince (@dirt prince) 1553471939.0
my mom when she was pregnant with me: | | | | | \ | \ |… https://t.co/Z7Naanq4oO— cσlє míllєr (@cσlє míllєr) 1553537215.0
my mom when she was pregnant with me: | | | | | \ | \ |… https://t.co/LITG6uWmLt— viking (@viking) 1553543765.0
Just when you think it can't get weirder, it does. I, for one, can't wait to see it take control of the internet for the next week or so.
The stomach meme but it's Phineas 💥💥 💥💥💥 | \ | \ | \ |… https://t.co/TRXI5gBnXv— CircleToonsHD (@CircleToonsHD) 1553529159.0
Is anyone else famished?