Remember the iconic distracted boy meme? Of course, you do! We all know the stock image that shows a man and woman walking down the road together when his eyes start to wander to the behind of a passing woman. It instantly went viral, and continues to rule the meme world. There is no denying that the viral pic gave the best meme template to all the humour lovers. Now a pic is going viral, claiming that the trio in the distracted boyfriend meme recreated the scene after ‘ten years.’ As much as we hate to disappoint you, the viral claim is fake, and they are not the same models from the original stock photo. In this article, know the truth behind the false claim.
The distracted boyfriend meme is based on a 2015 stock photograph by the Spanish photographer Antonio Guillem. It became an internet hit at the start of 2017 when social media users started using the image as a meme, as a way to depict different forms of infidelity. The viral meme has inspired various spin-offs, and the world laughed along.
A Twitter page of Pubity, which shares various pop culture and meme reference on social media, shared the image of three people, recreating the very iconic scene, with the distracted boyfriend stock image behind. The tweet caption reads, “The actual people from *THAT* meme, 10 years on.”
Here’s the Viral Tweet:
The actual people from *THAT* meme, 10 years on pic.twitter.com/uPi0vURmm2
— Pubity (@PubityOnInsta) March 13, 2021
The social media page likely claimed the above after Twitter user John O’ Connell shared the same as a joke, which garnered massive reactions on the microblogging platform. However, in the follow-up tweet, he clarified that the trio was “cosplaying for effect,” and shared the Twitter handles of those starring in the viral image.
The Joke!
The actual people from *THAT* meme, 10 years on …
— John O’Connell (@jdpoc) March 13, 2021
They Are Not the Same Models From Distracted Boyfriend Meme
Addendum : Starring @Codylindquist, @charlietodd and @UlkuGuneysu …
— John O’Connell (@jdpoc) March 13, 2021
So, where is the viral image actually from? The official Twitter page of Know Your Meme, further clarified the same. They noted that the photo was taken at the organisation’s “Two Decades of Memes,” exhibition held at the Museum of the Moving Image, New York City, in September, 2018. “They are not the stock photo models from the original ‘Distracted Boyfriend’ photograph,” added in the caption.
Here’s Where the Photo Was Taken!
This photograph is of @UlkuGuneysu, @charlietodd and @Codylindquist taken at our “Two Decades of Memes” exhibit held at the @MovingImageNYC in Sept 2018. They are not the stock photo models from the original “Distracted Boyfriend” photograph. https://t.co/x3L7OdJEDw
— Know Your Meme (@knowyourmeme) March 13, 2021
Now that you know the truth, don’t fall prey to such fake claims. It seems easier for things to go viral, with people worldwide spending too much time on the internet. But before you believe in anything, it is better to verify, before sharing the same.
Fact check
Claim :
Trio Recreating Iconic Distracted Boyfriend Meme After 10 Years
Conclusion :
The trio in the viral image are not the same models from the iconic distracted boyfriend meme. The picture was rather taken at a 2018 exhibition in NYC, where the three people recreated the scene.
(The above story first appeared on Morning Tidings on Mar 14, 2021 02:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website morningtidings.com).
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