Girls That I Like Vs Girls That Like Me — Canonical meme template with two beach-themed photographs showing attractive woman in glamorous setting on left and

Girls That I Like Vs Girls That Like Me

2014Image macro / comparison memesemi-active

Published March 24, 2026

Also known as: Girls I Like vs Girls That Like Me

"Girls That I Like vs Girls That Like Me" is a side-by-side image comparison meme where the poster places an idealized woman next to a less conventionally attractive woman, joking that only the latter is interested in them. The format first appeared on Twitter in July 2014 and ran as a niche self-deprecating joke for years before exploding in September 2017, when a woman featured without her consent fired back with one of Twitter's most-liked clap backs of the year1.

self deprecating memes two panel memes relationship memes body image memes gender stereotype memes

Overview

The format follows a simple two-panel layout. On the left: a photo labeled something like "girls that I like," showing a conventionally attractive woman. On the right: a photo labeled "girls that like me," showing someone the poster considers less desirable. The joke is supposed to be self-deprecating, poking fun at the poster's own romantic prospects, but the format frequently crosses into body shaming and sexism by using real people's photos as punchlines1.

The meme belongs to a family of comparison templates similar to "You vs. The Guy She Told You Not to Worry About," where two images are placed side by side to create a contrast for comedic effect2.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter
Creator
@Hunter1895
Date
2014

The earliest known version was posted on July 24, 2014, by Twitter user @Hunter18952. That tweet featured a side-by-side image of a Hooters model next to a larger person wearing a Hooters outfit, setting the template that dozens of imitators would follow over the next few years2.

How It Spread

Between 2014 and 2017, the format circulated steadily on Twitter as a low-key recurring joke2. Variations swapped in different photos but kept the same basic structure: an aspirational image on the left, a mocking image on the right.

The meme's biggest moment came on September 19, 2017. Twitter user @imleyton (Leyton Mokgerepi) posted a version comparing two swimsuit models, one thin and one plus-sized1. The post picked up over 1,400 retweets and 4,400 likes within 24 hours2. But Mokgerepi made a critical mistake: the plus-sized woman in the "girls that like me" slot was Lesego Legobane, known online as Thick Leeyonce, a body-positive blogger and founder of the plus-size fashion line Leebex Fashion1.

Legobane saw the tweet and responded the same day with just four words: "I don't like you"1. Her response blew up massively, collecting over 250,000 retweets and 800,000 likes in the first 24 hours alone2. Twitter created an official Moments page to archive the exchange and the public reactions2.

Mokgerepi attempted damage control by later posting the same photo of Legobane with the caption "Girlfriend Goals," but nobody bought it1. The incident turned the meme format itself into a cautionary tale about using real people's images to body shame strangers online.

How to Use This Meme

The format typically works like this:

1

Find or create a two-panel image layout

2

Label the left panel "Girls that I like" (or a variation)

3

Place an image of someone conventionally attractive on the left

4

Label the right panel "Girls that like me"

5

Place a contrasting image on the right

Cultural Impact

The September 2017 incident turned this meme into a flashpoint for conversations about body shaming on social media. Mashable covered the story, calling Mokgerepi's version "sexist" and noting it "exists only to body shame women"1. Legobane's four-word response became one of the most celebrated clap backs of 2017 on Twitter, and her profile as a body-positive advocate grew significantly as a result1.

The backlash also highlighted a recurring problem with comparison memes: formats designed for self-deprecation can easily become tools for punching down when creators use photos of real, identifiable people as the butt of the joke1.

Fun Facts

Legobane's response tweet ("I don't like you") hit 250,000 retweets in a single day, dwarfing the original meme post by a factor of nearly 1802.

The meme format ran for over three years as a minor recurring joke before the 2017 incident turned it into international news2.

Mokgerepi's attempt to save face by reposting Legobane's photo with "Girlfriend Goals" only made things worse, as Twitter users widely mocked the backpedal1.

Twitter created an official Moments page specifically to document the public response to Legobane's clap back2.

Frequently Asked Questions