# Absolutely Disgusting

Absolutely Disgusting is a reaction image macro built from a UPN9 New Jersey news screenshot where an appalled reporter appears above a lower-third caption reading "absolutely disgusting." The image spread through imageboards and Tumblr starting in 2008 as shorthand for exaggerated disapproval in forum threads.

## Overview
Absolutely Disgusting is a reaction image built from a single frame of a local New Jersey UPN9 news broadcast, showing a middle-aged reporter with a pained, appalled facial expression while the lower-third chyron reads "absolutely disgusting"[1]. The pairing of the reporter's grimace with the blunt caption is the entire joke, which is why the image travels so well as a drop-in reply.

On imageboards and forums, people post it whenever they want to register mock outrage or genuine revulsion at whatever is being discussed, from bad cooking photos to tabletop RPG greentexts[2]. It functions as an early template in the wider genre of newscast-caption reaction images, where the authoritative TV-broadcast framing amplifies the punchline[3].

## How It Spread
On May 21st, 2008, Gawker writer Nick Douglas highlighted Sacks's gallery in a post that gave the screenshot its first significant audience beyond the original blog[3]. From there the still slipped into imageboard culture, where it was reposted without the surrounding gallery context and treated purely as a reaction image.

On October 6th, 2010, it landed on the /nom/ (food) board of the Britfags imageboard, an early venue where users deployed it against unappetizing meal photos[4]. On February 27th, 2012, it was posted to 4chan's /tg/ (Traditional Games) board in a thread of Dungeons and Dragons war stories, and on March 30th, 2013, Operator Chan user Pervasive Vagrant reposted it to the site's /meet/ (Meetings and Shoots) board[1][2].

Tumblr edits followed shortly after. On May 9th, user bohnbohn posted a version with rapper Lil B's head superimposed over the reporter and the caption swapped to "absolutely based," and on October 28th, user syauska shared a version featuring My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic character Sweetie Belle posed as the reporter, keeping the original caption intact[1].

## How to Use
The template typically keeps the reporter's framing and the lower-third chyron in place, with users swapping either the caption text or the reporter's face for a different character to fit a specific target. Common convention is to post it as a standalone reply in a thread, with no added text, so the chyron speaks for the poster.

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Absolutely Disgusting?
It is a reaction image macro made from a UPN9 New Jersey news screenshot showing a reporter with an appalled expression above the chyron "absolutely disgusting"[1].

### Where did Absolutely Disgusting come from?
The frame was first published in May 2008 by American writer Mike Sacks as part of a webpage titled "Photos of TV"[5].

### What does Absolutely Disgusting mean?
People post it to register exaggerated or genuine disapproval, letting the newscast chyron voice their reaction to whatever is being discussed[2].

### How do you use Absolutely Disgusting?
It is typically dropped into a forum or imageboard thread as a standalone reply, sometimes with the face or caption swapped for a joke variant like the Lil B "absolutely based" edit[1].

### Is Absolutely Disgusting still popular?
It is a classic imageboard-era reaction image whose peak circulation was between 2010 and 2013 on 4chan, Britfags, Operator Chan, and Tumblr[1][4].

## References
1. [https://gawker.com/](<https://gawker.com/>)
2. [https://boards.4channel.org/tg/](<https://boards.4channel.org/tg/>)
3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/absolutely-disgusting](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/absolutely-disgusting>)
4. [https://operatorchan.org/meet/](<https://operatorchan.org/meet/>)
5. [https://mikesacks.com/](<https://mikesacks.com/>)

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Source: https://meme.com/memes/absolutely-disgusting
Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library