# 5G Its Fast Doe > 5G Its Fast Doe is a 2019 image-macro meme featuring grotesquely mutated characters praising 5G speeds, darkly joking that radiation damage is somehow worth the fast downloads. "5G: It's Fast Doe" is a catchphrase meme format from mid-2019 where grotesque, mutated, or disfigured characters praise the speed of 5G cellular networks. The joke plays on conspiracy theories claiming 5G causes cancer or other health damage, with the punchline being that the horribly mutated "5G user" still thinks the fast download speeds are worth it. The format picked up steam after a debunked viral photo of a supposed hazmat-suited 5G installer, and saw a second wave in April 2020 when COVID-19/5G conspiracy theories spread. ## Origin Anti-5G conspiracy theories had been circulating online since at least July 2016, when early posts appeared on fringe websites like "Web of Evidence"[5]. The meme's immediate catalyst was a photograph that went viral in early May 2019. The image showed a worker in a white protective suit on a telecommunications tower, and social media users claimed it proved that 5G installation requires hazmat radiation suits[1]. On May 12, 2019, iFunny user iWoke posted the image, where it picked up over 56,600 smiles within a year[5]. On May 16, 2019, Snopes published a detailed debunking. The fact-check explained that cell towers only emit non-ionizing radiation, the tower in the photo wasn't even a 5G tower, and the worker was wearing a standard Tyvek suit, likely to protect against bird droppings while cleaning the monopole[1]. Scott Krouse, director of the National Association of Tower Erectors' Wireless Industry Network, confirmed the worker was probably "cleaning bird dung off the monopole" and that "hazmat suits are not required while working with 5G equipment"[1]. Despite the debunking, the viral photo fueled a wave of anti-5G memes on iFunny and other platforms[2]. On June 14, 2019, iFunny user Pakistan posted what became the format's template: an image of a ghoul from the Fallout series captioned "5G Users Be Like: Yeah It's Fast Doe"[5]. The post earned over 2,600 smiles and was reposted across Instagram and other sites in the following months[4]. - **Platform:** iFunny - **Creator:** Pakistan (iFunny user, original format post) - **Date:** 2019 ## Overview The meme follows a simple formula: take an image of something mutated, irradiated, disfigured, or monstrous, then caption it with some variation of "5G users be like: yeah it's fast doe." The humor comes from the absurd trade-off. According to conspiracy theorists, 5G radiation supposedly causes all manner of bodily harm. The meme's characters cheerfully accept their horrifying physical state because, hey, the download speeds are great. Common source images include ghouls from the Fallout video game series, deformed creatures, cursed imagery, and occasionally real people photoshopped to look mutated[5]. The catchphrase varies slightly across posts but always centers on acknowledging the speed. ## How It Spread During summer 2019, the format saw moderate spread. Users on Reddit, iFunny, and Instagram posted their own versions, swapping in different mutated characters while keeping the "it's fast doe" punchline[5]. Comment sections on 5G-related posts became a mix of genuine conspiracy believers and people making fun of them. One iFunny commenter wrote "5G users be like: Hello, smoothskin," referencing Fallout's ghoul dialogue[4]. Another joked about becoming "a male, cowboy, ghoul prostitute" with "high download speeds"[4]. The format's biggest resurgence hit in April 2020, when a new conspiracy theory linking COVID-19 to 5G networks gained traction. On April 5, 2020, Twitter user @ech0astral posted a version that received over 55 retweets and 380 likes within two weeks[5]. Five days later, @BasedLoller3 tweeted another take that got over 40 retweets and 150 likes in a single week[5]. The COVID-19 connection gave the meme fresh relevance. Where the 2019 versions joked about cancer and mutation, the 2020 wave added pandemic references. The core joke stayed the same: no matter what terrible thing 5G supposedly causes, the speed makes it worthwhile. ## How to Use The format typically works like this: 1. Find an image of something grotesque, mutated, or physically ruined. Fallout ghouls are the classic choice, but any cursed or disturbing image works. 2. Caption it with a variation of "5G users be like" or "me after [using 5G]." 3. Include the punchline praising the speed: "yeah it's fast doe," "but the download speeds tho," or similar. ## Cultural Impact The meme sits at the intersection of internet humor and real-world misinformation. While "It's Fast Doe" clearly mocks the conspiracy theories, it also spread awareness of anti-5G claims to people who hadn't encountered them. Comment sections on these posts often devolved into genuine debates about 5G safety[6][2]. The Snopes debunking became a frequently shared counterpoint whenever the original hazmat photo resurfaced[1]. Multiple commenters on the viral iFunny posts attempted to explain the science, noting that "5G waves are non-ionizing radiation, just like 3G and 4G waves" and that the suit in the photo was clearly "a Tyvek suit, not a RAD suit"[2]. The format also fed into the broader 2020 trend of pandemic conspiracy memes, sitting alongside other formats that joked about 5G towers being burned down in the UK and Bill Gates microchip theories. ## Fun Facts - The worker in the original viral photo was most likely cleaning bird droppings off a palm-tree-disguised monopole tower, not installing anything 5G-related[1]. - Even if 5G towers somehow emitted ionizing radiation (they don't), no hazmat suit on Earth could block it. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirms that personal protective equipment "cannot protect against exposure from high energy, highly penetrating forms of ionizing radiation"[1]. - The tower in the viral photo wasn't a 5G tower at all. Based on the antennas visible, it was a standard 4G tower[1]. - iFunny user Pakistan's original post used a Fallout ghoul, making the Bethesda RPG series forever tied to 5G meme culture[5]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is 5G: It's Fast Doe? It's a meme format where mutated or disfigured characters casually praise 5G network speed, satirizing conspiracy theories that 5G causes health problems[5]. ### Where did 5G: It's Fast Doe come from? The format originated on iFunny on June 14, 2019, when user Pakistan posted a Fallout ghoul captioned "5G Users Be Like: Yeah It's Fast Doe"[5]. It was inspired by a debunked viral photo of a supposed hazmat-suited 5G installer[1]. ### What does 5G: It's Fast Doe mean? The joke is that even if 5G caused horrible mutations (it doesn't), the fast internet speed would still be worth it. It mocks anti-5G conspiracy believers by taking their claims to an absurd conclusion[5]. ### How do you use 5G: It's Fast Doe? Pair an image of something grotesque or mutated with a caption praising 5G speed. The more casual and unbothered the caption, the funnier it reads against the disturbing image[4]. ### Is 5G: It's Fast Doe still popular? The format peaked during April 2020 when COVID-5G conspiracies drove a major resurgence[5]. It still surfaces when 5G conspiracy discourse flares up, but it's no longer a dominant format. ### Was the original 5G hazmat photo real? No. Snopes confirmed the worker was wearing a Tyvek suit (not a hazmat suit) and was likely cleaning bird droppings. The tower was a standard 4G monopole, not a 5G installation[1]. ### Why did the meme resurge in April 2020? Conspiracy theories linking COVID-19 to 5G networks went mainstream in early 2020, giving the format fresh material and a new wave of posts on Twitter and other platforms[5]. ### What's the connection to Fallout? The original and most iconic version used a ghoul from the Fallout game series, since ghouls are characters mutated by radiation. This made them a perfect visual metaphor for the supposed effects of 5G[5][4]. ## References 1. [Are Hazmat Suits Needed to Install 5G Cellphone Towers? | Snopes.com]() 2. [Me after turning on my new "56 iPhone ll" - iFunny]() 3. [Yeah but that 5g is fast doe - iFunny]() 4. [5G: It's Fast Doe - Know Your Meme]() 5. [History of the Internet]() 6. [Picture memes 5h340fCn6 by Pakistan: 32 comments - iFunny]() 7. [5g installation guy wearing a fucking hazmat radiation suit - iFunny]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/5g-its-fast-doe Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library