Is This a Pigeon
Character points at something, asking "Is this [incorrect label]?" Used to show someone completely misunderstanding a situation, concept, or object. The humor comes from the obvious incorrectness of the identification.
Dimensions: 1587 × 1425px
Format: 3-panel misidentification
📖 Origin Story
Source: Japanese anime "The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird"
Creator: Sunrise (anime studio)
First appeared: Episode 3, February 1991 (meme: Tumblr, December 2011)
The scene where android Yutaro Katori mistakes a butterfly for a pigeon languished in obscurity until 2011, when it began circulating on Tumblr as an expression of utter confusion. It exploded in popularity in April-May 2018 with object-labeled variations on Twitter and Reddit.
🎯 How to Use This Template
Character points at something, asking "Is this [incorrect label]?" Used to show someone completely misunderstanding a situation, concept, or object. The humor comes from the obvious incorrectness of the identification.
Pro Tips:
- 💡The misidentification should be comically wrong
- 💡Works best for highlighting genuine confusion or ignorance
- 💡Can show corporations/people misunderstanding their audience
- 💡The character represents whoever is confused
😂 Example Ideas
Character: "Netflix" / Points at 28-year-old actor / "Is this a high school teenager?"
Character: "Game companies" / Points at loot boxes / "Is this a sense of pride and accomplishment?"
Character: "Me looking at my bank account" / Points at negative balance / "Is this financial stability?"
💡 Did You Know?
- •The translation is accurate - in Japanese he actually does say "pigeon" (hato)
- •The character is an android learning about Earth, which explains his confusion
- •A "female version" using a character from "You're Under Arrest" went viral in 2018 as a companion meme
