What is Girls That I Like vs Girls That Like Me?

It's a comparison meme format where someone posts two side-by-side images of women, contrasting who they're attracted to with who they joke is attracted to them[2].

Where did Girls That I Like vs Girls That Like Me come from?

The first known version was posted by Twitter user @Hunter1895 on July 24, 2014, using photos of two people in Hooters outfits[2].

What does Girls That I Like vs Girls That Like Me mean?

The format is meant as self-deprecating humor, implying the poster can only attract people they consider less desirable than their ideal type[2].

How do you use Girls That I Like vs Girls That Like Me?

Create a two-panel image with an attractive person labeled "girls I like" on the left and a contrasting person labeled "girls that like me" on the right. Using fictional characters or stock photos instead of real people is strongly advised after the 2017 backlash[1].

Is Girls That I Like vs Girls That Like Me still popular?

The format still appears occasionally on Twitter and other platforms, though its peak was in 2017 when the Thick Leeyonce incident went viral[2].

What did Thick Leeyonce say in response to the meme?

Legobane responded to the tweet with just four words: "I don't like you." The response got over 250,000 retweets and 800,000 likes within 24 hours[2].

Why was the 2017 version controversial?

Twitter user @imleyton used photos of real women, including Legobane, to body shame plus-sized people. Using identifiable people without consent crossed the line from self-deprecation into targeted mockery[1].

Is this meme related to "You vs. The Guy She Told You Not to Worry About"?

Both are comparison memes that contrast two people for comedic effect, though "You vs. The Guy" focuses on male insecurity while "Girls That I Like" focuses on romantic prospects with women[2].

Girls That I Like Vs Girls That Like Me

Q: Who is Thick Leeyonce?

Thick Leeyonce is the online name of Lesego Legobane, a South African body-positive blogger and founder of the plus-size fashion line Leebex Fashion, who went viral after shutting down a body-shaming version of this meme[1].

2014Image macro / comparison memesemi-active

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

Girls That I Like Vs Girls That Like Me is a 2014 image-macro meme comparing an idealized woman to a less conventionally attractive one, self-deprecatingly suggesting only the latter returns romantic interest.

"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.

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.

Origin & Background

Platform

Twitter

Creator

@Hunter1895

Date

2014

The earliest known version was posted on July 24, 2014, by Twitter user @Hunter1895. 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 years.

How It Spread

Between 2014 and 2017, the format circulated steadily on Twitter as a low-key recurring joke. 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-sized. The post picked up over 1,400 retweets and 4,400 likes within 24 hours. 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 Fashion.

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

Mokgerepi attempted damage control by later posting the same photo of Legobane with the caption "Girlfriend Goals," but nobody bought it. 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:

Find or create a two-panel image layout

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

Place an image of someone conventionally attractive on the left

Label the right panel "Girls that like me"

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". 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 result.

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 joke.

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 180.

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

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

References (3)

1
Woman shuts down dude who used her picture in a sexist meme | Mashablearticle
2
Girls That I Like vs Girls That Like Me - Know Your Memeencyclopedia
3
Mean Girlsencyclopedia