# Fedora Neckbeard 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 camera[2]. 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. ## Origin On October 31, 2013, a photo of Jerry Messing appeared on Reddit[1]. 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 psychology[1]. 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 online[1]. 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]. - **Platform:** Reddit (viral spread of Jerry Messing photo) - **Creator:** Jerry Messing (subject, involuntary), Unknown (original Reddit poster) - **Date:** 2013 ## 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 hat[1]. 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. ## 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 stereotype[3]. 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 Tumblr[3]. 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 image[3]. A YouTube video compiling the replies landed on Reddit's r/YouTubeHaiku, pulling in over 2,000 upvotes[3]. 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 variants[3]. ## How to Use 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. ## 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 distinction[1]. 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 second[1]. 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 walk[1]. ## 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 distinction[1]. - 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 notes[3]. - Messing's last acting credit was in 2003, over a decade before he became one of the internet's most recognizable faces[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the Fedora Neckbeard meme? It's a reaction image and internet stereotype mocking a specific archetype: the socially awkward, fedora-wearing "nice guy" who is often aggressively atheist online. The most iconic image is a photo of actor Jerry Messing wearing a trilby[1]. ### Where did the Fedora Neckbeard meme come from? A photo of Jerry Messing wearing a trilby appeared on Reddit on October 31, 2013. It was an outtake from a headshot photoshoot[1]. ### What does the Fedora Neckbeard meme mean? It's used to mock people exhibiting "neckbeard" behavior, including performative chivalry ("m'lady"), aggressive online atheism, and general social cluelessness[3]. ### How do you use the Fedora Neckbeard meme? Post the Jerry Messing photo or the Shrek Fedora image in response to neckbeard-type behavior, or simply type "*tips fedora*" or "m'lady" in a comment thread[3]. ### Is Fedora Neckbeard still popular? The meme peaked in the mid-2010s but is still widely recognized and used. The "*tips fedora*" phrase and the neckbeard stereotype it mocks are well-established internet vocabulary[1]. ### Who is the Fedora Guy? Jerry Messing, an American actor known for roles in *Freaks and Geeks* and *Addams Family Reunion*. His headshot outtake photo became the face of the neckbeard meme[1]. ### What is the Shrek Fedora meme? A photoshopped image of Shrek with a neckbeard tipping a fedora, captioned "get out of m'swamp." It was created by Tumblr user gamebae on July 6, 2014, and is used to mock militant atheist posts online[3]. ### What happened to Jerry Messing? Messing launched a YouTube channel called "Fedora Productions" in January 2020. In August 2021, he was hospitalized with COVID-19 and spent two weeks in a coma before recovering[1]. ### What's the difference between a fedora and a trilby? A trilby has a shorter brim and is the hat Messing actually wore in the photo. The internet uses "fedora" as a catch-all term for both styles[1]. ## References 1. [Jerry Messing]() 2. [cache:WY--GfY3EWQJ:https://twitter.com/thinkatheist/status/889833127027380224 - Google Search]() 3. [Fedora Neckbeard - Know Your Meme]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/fedora-neckbeard Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library