10 Minutes Later Me And The Bestie

2013Exploitable image macro / comparison formatsemi-active

Also known as: Bitches Be Like Can't Stand Her Fake Ass · Me and the Bestie

"10 Minutes Later: Me and the Bestie" is an exploitable image macro that pairs a grumpy Squidward on the left with a smiling SpongeBob and Patrick on the right, joking about people who talk trash behind someone's back but act friendly moments later. The format originated on Twitter in November 2013 and saw its biggest wave of photoshopped variations between 2019 and 20212.

Overview

The meme uses a two-panel layout built from SpongeBob SquarePants screenshots. On the left, Squidward stands with his arms crossed, looking annoyed, with top-and-bottom text reading "bitches be like can't stand her fake ass." On the right, SpongeBob and Patrick pose together smiling, captioned "*10 minutes later* me and the bestie"2. The joke targets two-faced behavior, specifically the gap between what someone says about a person behind their back and how they actually act around them. As the format spread, users swapped out the SpongeBob characters for images from pop culture, gaming, and current events to fit new contexts2.

On November 18, 2013, Twitter user @CauseWereGuys posted the original version with the caption "Bitches be like…" alongside the Squidward/SpongeBob comparison image2. The tweet picked up over 2,300 likes and 3,000 retweets over the following years. This is the earliest known upload of the format. The meme sat relatively dormant for several years before gaining real traction in 20192.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter
Creator
@CauseWereGuys
Date
2013

On November 18, 2013, Twitter user @CauseWereGuys posted the original version with the caption "Bitches be like…" alongside the Squidward/SpongeBob comparison image2. The tweet picked up over 2,300 likes and 3,000 retweets over the following years. This is the earliest known upload of the format. The meme sat relatively dormant for several years before gaining real traction in 20192.

How It Spread

The format started seeing increased use around 2019, with users creating photoshopped versions that replaced the SpongeBob imagery with references to specific fandoms and current events2.

Activity ramped up in 2020. On July 12, 2020, Instagram page edgywhitememes posted a version referencing the YouTube duo SuperMega, collecting over 600 likes2. Two days later on July 14, Instagram page acpcutie shared an Animal Crossing-themed edit that pulled in over 9,600 likes2.

The format hit its peak in mid-to-late 2021. On May 2, 2021, Instagram user boomer.jim posted a version poking fun at David Dobrik's habit of giving away Teslas, which earned over 32,000 likes in five months2. By August, the meme had crossed into gaming communities. On August 20, Twitter user @succubused posted a Genshin Impact version tied to the game's update 2.1 art, racking up over 9,500 likes and 1,700 retweets2. That image was reposted to Instagram page genshin.era two days later and hit over 42,000 likes2. On September 13, Instagram page oldrowofficial used the format to mock Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's "Tax the Rich" Met Gala 2021 dress, and that version cleared 60,000 likes in under a month2.

A later variation swapped the SpongeBob/Patrick panel for a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 poster, keeping the same Squidward setup on the left1. This showed the template's flexibility: any pairing of "annoyed stance" and "buddy-buddy moment" could slot into the structure.

How to Use This Meme

The format works as a two-panel comparison. On the left side, place an image representing negativity, annoyance, or trash-talking, paired with text along the lines of "bitches be like can't stand her fake ass." On the right side, place an image showing friendship or togetherness, captioned "*10 minutes later* me and the bestie"2.

The most common approach is to swap both panels with images from a specific fandom, franchise, or current event. The left panel typically shows a character or person looking unhappy, while the right shows characters being friendly together. Some versions keep the original Squidward and SpongeBob images but change the surrounding context with logos, movie posters, or screenshots placed beside the characters1. The humor works best when the "bestie" panel references the exact thing being trash-talked in the first panel.

Cultural Impact

The meme tapped into a specific social dynamic familiar to many online communities: performative dislike followed by actual friendship. Its 2021 peak coincided with several high-profile cultural moments. The AOC Met Gala version, posted by oldrowofficial, became one of the format's most-liked iterations at over 60,000 likes, showing how the template could be repurposed for political commentary2. Gaming communities adopted it heavily during Genshin Impact's 2.1 update cycle, with cross-platform reposts between Twitter and Instagram driving tens of thousands of engagements2.

Fun Facts

The original 2013 tweet took nearly six years to gain mainstream traction, not picking up significant remix activity until 20192.

The Genshin Impact version traveled from Twitter to Instagram within just two days, where it earned four times as many likes on the repost2.

The format's most successful single post was the AOC Met Gala critique, which crossed 60,000 likes in less than a month2.

Despite using SpongeBob characters, the meme's core joke is about real human social dynamics rather than anything from the show's actual plot2.

Derivatives & Variations

Fandom-specific edits:

Users replaced the SpongeBob characters with references to SuperMega, Animal Crossing, David Dobrik, Genshin Impact, and other properties while keeping the same text structure[2].

Political commentary versions:

The AOC Met Gala edit used the format to critique her "Tax the Rich" dress, pivoting the meme from interpersonal humor to political satire[2].

Movie poster swaps:

A variant paired the grumpy Squidward with a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 poster instead of the original SpongeBob/Patrick image, using the Marvel Studios logo as a visual anchor[1].

Frequently Asked Questions