Broccoli In Hot Tub — Anthropomorphic broccoli with green afro lounging in a hot tub wearing gold chains in a Colgate Total floss advertisement

Broccoli In Hot Tub

2010reaction imagesemi-active

Published August 12, 2026

Broccoli In Hot Tub is a 3D-rendered image of an anthropomorphic broccoli stalk wearing bling and relaxing in a jacuzzi, originally created for a 2010 Colgate dental floss advertisement. The image became a popular shitposting reaction meme in 2021 and later gained significant traction in Indonesia as a "just relax" reaction image.

advertising memes reaction memes delayed virality memes indonesian memes

Overview

Broccoli In Hot Tub, also called Gangster Broccoli or Hot Tub Broccoli, features a 3D-rendered anthropomorphic broccoli stalk wearing gold chains and relaxing in a tropical jacuzzi. The character has exaggerated lips and uses the broccoli floret as an afro hairstyle. A toothpick character stands in the background fishing, as part of Colgate's "there are places a toothpick will never reach" campaign for dental floss1.

The advertisement drew immediate accusations of racism upon release due to its incorporation of Black stereotypes in the broccoli's design2. Critics pointed to the bling jewelry, large lips, and the afro represented by the vegetable's natural head shape as problematic design choices. Despite the controversy, the image found new life over a decade later as a reaction image popular in shitposting communities3.

Origin & Background

Platform
Print advertisement / Reddit (viral spread)
Creator
Prolam Y&R
Date
2010

The Broccoli In Hot Tub image was created in May 2010 by Chilean advertising agency Prolam Y&R as part of Colgate's print floss campaign1. The "there are places you will never reach" campaign featured multiple 3D-rendered anthropomorphized fruits and vegetables relaxing in vacation settings, meant to illustrate how food particles hide between teeth where only floss can reach.

On May 10th, 2010, the advertising blog Copyranter published a post titled "Blinged-out broccoli brother, chillin' in a hot tub (in your mouth)" criticizing the ad's racial stereotyping2. The blogger wrote sarcastically: "Nothing remotely racist here in this ad for Colgate dental floss by Chilean agency Prolam Y&R, right? I mean, c'mon, Broccoli stalks naturally have a 'fro."

How It Spread

The Broccoli In Hot Tub image remained relatively obscure until 2021 when it entered shitposting communities. On August 17th, 2021, YouTuber Troll posted a video pairing the image with the opening of "Candy Shop," gaining over 5,400 views3. That same month, YouTuber Danilo Milutinovic created a SpongeBob Doxxing Your IP Address parody using the broccoli image.

In October 2021, the meme spread across multiple platforms. An iFunny user posted an image macro featuring all three vegetables from the original Colgate campaign, earning over 9,500 smiles7. Instagram page @creemierr posted a video editing the broccoli into a dating profile with "This Love" by Maroon 5 playing, which was reposted to @repost.randy where it gained over 186,000 views34. On Reddit's r/shitposting, user GeorgeSaucington posted a comic about showing someone "the broccoli picture"6.

Starting in February 2023, the image gained significant popularity in Indonesia as a "Santai dulu gak sih" (just relax, okay) reaction meme8. Facebook users began applying it to situations where someone should stay calm while waiting for something. The meme appeared in posts about marriage pressure for 25-year-olds and soccer commentary about Manchester United's comeback against West Ham89. A viral Facebook video depicted a Kamen Rider character while the villain, represented by the broccoli, casually waits10.

How to Use This Meme

Broccoli In Hot Tub is typically used as a reaction image conveying relaxation, unbothered attitudes, or casual confidence. In Western shitposting, it often appears in ironic contexts or as an absurd non-sequitur image people share for its bizarre aesthetic. In Indonesian meme culture, the image is commonly paired with the text "Santai dulu gak sih" to tell someone to calm down and relax, especially when waiting for something or facing pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions