Fedora Neckbeard

2013Reaction image / stereotype meme / catchphraseclassic

Published March 10, 2026 · Updated March 18, 2026

Also known as: Tips Fedora · Fedora Guy · Neckbeard · M'Lady · Trilby Guy

Fedora Neckbeard is an internet stereotype and reaction image meme mocking a specific archetype: the overweight, socially awkward man who wears a fedora (usually a trilby), grows a patchy "neckbeard," and holds aggressively atheist views online. The meme crystallized around a 2013 photo of actor Jerry Messing wearing a trilby and smiling at the camera2. The image, paired with the phrase "*tips fedora*" and the faux-chivalrous "m'lady," became one of the internet's most recognized shorthand insults for a particular brand of online cringe.

atheism memesnice guy memes2013 memesshrekfacial expression memes

Overview

The Fedora Neckbeard meme packages an entire internet stereotype into a single image. The archetype it mocks is a composite: someone who fancies themselves intellectually superior (often citing their atheism), performs exaggerated chivalry toward women while harboring entitlement, and tops it all off with a fedora or trilby worn without irony. The visual shorthand is Jerry Messing's photo, a former child actor grinning at the camera in a trilby hat1. The gesture "*tips fedora*" became the standard caption, often paired with "m'lady" to lampoon the performative politeness associated with the stereotype.

The meme exists at the intersection of several internet subcultures it mocks: militant atheism on Reddit, "nice guy" behavior on dating sites, and a general lack of self-awareness. It's less about any one person and more about a recognizable type that online communities collectively decided to roast.

Origin & Background

Platform
Reddit (viral spread of Jerry Messing photo)
Key People
Jerry Messing, Unknown
Date
2013

On October 31, 2013, a photo of Jerry Messing appeared on Reddit1. The image showed Messing wearing a trilby and grinning directly at the camera. It was actually an outtake from a headshot photoshoot he'd done while trying to restart his acting career after briefly attending Florida International University to study psychology1.

Messing was already a familiar face to some. He'd played Pugsley Addams in the 1998 film *Addams Family Reunion* and had a recurring role as Gordon Crisp on the cult NBC show *Freaks and Geeks*1. But none of that mattered once Reddit got hold of the photo. It spread fast, and Messing was labeled "Fedora Guy." The image locked in as the definitive visual for the neckbeard and nice guy stereotypes, as well as a go-to response when someone posted zealously atheist takes online1.

Messing later acknowledged the situation in interviews: "I'm certainly not thrilled with the communities the photo has come to represent, but it isn't something I can really do anything about, so I don't let it bother me"1.

How It Spread

Once the Jerry Messing photo took hold in late 2013, the "*tips fedora*" format exploded across Reddit, Tumblr, and Twitter. The phrase became a standalone reaction, dropped into comment threads whenever someone posted anything resembling neckbeard behavior. Subreddits like r/justneckbeardthings became dedicated archives for the stereotype3.

The meme branched into new visual territory on July 6, 2014, when Tumblr user gamebae posted a photoshopped image of Shrek sporting a neckbeard and tipping a fedora, captioned "get out of m'swamp"3. The post picked up over 77,700 notes on Tumblr3. This "Shrek Fedora" (or "Shrekbeard") variant became the go-to reaction image specifically for responding to militant atheist posts on social media.

On December 22, 2014, BuzzFeed included the Shrek Fedora image in a listicle titled "23 Photos That Are Either Really Good Or Really Bad"3. By July 2017, the @ThinkAtheist Twitter account acknowledged the trend, tweeting that the "shrek fedora" meme was "the newest trend in 'attacking' #atheist twitter accounts"3.

The Shrek Fedora variant hit peak visibility in August 2017. When YouTuber Onision tweeted a photo of flooding in Houston, Texas with the message "There are a lot of Christians in Texas, so any of you want to explain your god doing this?", users bombarded his replies with the Shrek Fedora image3. A YouTube video compiling the replies landed on Reddit's r/YouTubeHaiku, pulling in over 2,000 upvotes3.

The template got another boost in November 2017 after actor Wil Wheaton replied to a tweet by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan about sending prayers to those affected by the Sutherland Springs church shooting. Twitter users flooded the thread with Shrek Fedora variants3.

Platforms

RedditTwitterTikTokInstagram
View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

The Fedora Neckbeard meme works in a few ways:

As a reaction image: Drop the Jerry Messing photo or the Shrek Fedora image in response to someone exhibiting "neckbeard" behavior online. This typically means someone being aggressively atheist, performing exaggerated chivalry, or displaying a lack of social awareness.

As a text-only format: Type "*tips fedora*" or "m'lady" in italicized action-text format. This is often enough on its own, no image needed.

As the Shrek Fedora variant: The "get out of m'swamp" version is used more narrowly, almost always in response to atheist hot takes on social media. The Shrek version carries extra absurdist comedy that the straight photo doesn't.

The convention is to deploy the meme when someone is being unintentionally cringe rather than to mock people directly. It's typically pointed at behavior, not individuals.

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

The Fedora Neckbeard meme did real damage to the fedora as a fashion accessory. What was once associated with Frank Sinatra and Indiana Jones became internet shorthand for social ineptitude. Hat enthusiasts and fashion forums spent years trying to distinguish between fedoras and trilbies (the hat in Messing's photo is technically a trilby), but the internet didn't care about the distinction1.

The meme also shaped how online atheist communities were perceived. Subreddits like r/atheism, once among Reddit's default communities, became heavily associated with the neckbeard stereotype. The "*tips fedora*" response became so common that it forced a kind of self-policing within those communities.

Jerry Messing himself leaned into his meme status. In January 2020, he launched a YouTube channel called "Fedora Productions"1. In August 2021, Messing was hospitalized and placed on a ventilator after contracting COVID-19. He had received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine but became sick before getting his second1. After spending two weeks in a coma, he was removed from the ventilator in September 2021 and began rehabilitation, having temporarily lost the ability to walk1.

Fun Facts

The hat in Jerry Messing's famous photo is actually a trilby, not a fedora. The internet collectively decided not to care about the distinction1.

Messing played Pugsley Addams in *Addams Family Reunion* (1998) and Gordon Crisp in *Freaks and Geeks* before becoming "Fedora Guy"1.

The Shrek Fedora Tumblr post pulled in over 77,700 notes3.

Messing's last acting credit was in 2003, over a decade before he became one of the internet's most recognizable faces1.

Derivatives & Variations

Shrek Fedora / Shrekbeard:

A photoshopped Shrek with a neckbeard tipping a fedora, captioned "get out of m'swamp." Created by Tumblr user gamebae on July 6, 2014, and used specifically to mock atheist posts on social media[3].

M'lady variants:

Endless edits applying fedoras and the "m'lady" caption to other characters and public figures, following the same template as the original.

r/justneckbeardthings:

A dedicated subreddit that became the main repository for neckbeard stereotype content, including the Shrek Fedora image[3].

Frequently Asked Questions