# Literally 1984 > Literally 1984 is a 2020 image-macro meme pairing Big Brother from the 1984 film with absurd rules, sarcastically mocking minor inconveniences and trivial restrictions as totalitarian oppression. "Literally 1984" is an internet catchphrase and image macro meme based on George Orwell's dystopian novel *Nineteen Eighty-Four*, used sarcastically to mock minor inconveniences or trivial rules by comparing them to totalitarian oppression. The meme gained traction in late 2020 through edits pairing the Big Brother character from the 1984 film adaptation with absurd prohibitions, and quickly spread across Reddit, iFunny, Twitter, and Instagram as a go-to response for anyone facing a ban, mute, or mildly restrictive rule. ## Origin George Orwell published *Nineteen Eighty-Four* in 1949, and the British film adaptation directed by Michael Radford premiered on October 10, 1984[3]. The film's opening sequence shows a crowd chanting before a large screen displaying Big Brother's face, portrayed by actor Bob Flag[2]. This imagery became the visual backbone of the meme decades later. On December 1, 2020, an anonymous Reddit user posted a demotivational poster to r/okbuddyretard combining a GIF of the Big Brother scene with the caption "Don't piss in the McDonald's sinks" and the secondary text "Do not trust big brother, piss in the McDonald's sinks"[2]. The post pulled in over 1,900 upvotes before moderators removed it. - **Platform:** Reddit (r/okbuddyretard) - **Creator:** Unknown (anonymous Redditor on r/okbuddyretard) - **Date:** 2020 ## Overview The meme takes two main forms. The first is an image macro using a still or GIF of Big Brother (played by Bob Flag) from Michael Radford's 1984 film *Nineteen Eighty-Four*[3]. In this format, a ridiculous rule or prohibition is displayed alongside the authoritarian figure, implying the rule is dystopian overreach. The second form is the catchphrase "Literally 1984" used as a text-only reply, typically deployed when someone gets banned from a Discord server, muted in a chat, or encounters any minor restriction on their behavior[1]. Both forms rely on the same joke: comparing something trivially annoying to the oppressive surveillance state described in Orwell's 1949 novel. The humor comes from the extreme mismatch between an actual totalitarian regime and whatever petty inconvenience triggered the response. ## How It Spread The original post sparked rapid imitation within days. By December 6, 2020, Instagram user cyrakek_ reposted the image and racked up over 27,900 likes within a year[2]. That same day, the format jumped to iFunny, where user Konzu posted a "You Cannot Use The Double Gulp Cup For The Slurpee" version that earned over 2,000 smiles[2]. On December 7, Redditor CaptainBraggy brought a "Keep Memes out of #general" version to r/okbuddyretard, where it hit 5,700 upvotes in six months[2]. The format's first wave cooled off in January 2021, but a February 2nd post by Redditor arvidsson85 on r/okbuddyretard reignited interest, earning over 6,900 upvotes before removal[2]. Twitter user @racistoniichan reposted it the next day, pulling 2,300 retweets and 16,300 likes in eight months. On February 7, Redditor Infernum_DCoL brought the format to r/196, scoring over 8,000 upvotes[2]. Twitter users adapted the format using a still image rather than a GIF. On April 8, 2021, @LukeCorreiaVA posted a version that gained 450 likes[2]. On May 12, @JohntheLib tied the format to the 2021 U.S. East Coast gas shortage, getting 1,100 likes[2]. The catchphrase version ("Literally 1984") also spread independently as a text reply across Discord, Twitch, and forum threads[1]. ## How to Use The image macro format typically works like this: 1. Find a sign, rule, or announcement that prohibits something mundane or silly (e.g., "Do not microwave fish in the break room") 2. Pair it with the Big Brother still or GIF from the 1984 film 3. The absurd gap between the petty rule and the dystopian imagery delivers the joke ## Cultural Impact The phrase "Literally 1984" tapped into a broader cultural awareness of Orwell's work that spikes whenever censorship or surveillance debates heat up. Sales of the actual novel regularly surge during political controversies, and the meme piggybacks on that cultural reflex by turning the reference into absurdist comedy. Urban Dictionary entries define the phrase as a response to perceived overreach of authority, noting it's "often used jokingly as an over-exaggeration in political talk"[1]. The meme effectively split into two camps: people who use it purely for laughs about trivial bans, and people who deploy it semi-seriously during debates about content moderation and deplatforming[1]. The 1984 film itself starred John Hurt and was Richard Burton's final screen appearance[3]. Burton's film had won Evening Standard British Film Awards for Best Film and Best Actor[3], but its imagery reaching a new generation through shitposting gave a 1984 art film an unexpected second life. ## Fun Facts - The Big Brother character in the film is played by Bob Flag, whose face became one of the most recognizable meme templates of 2021 despite the film being nearly 40 years old at that point[2]. - The original Reddit post that started the trend was removed by r/okbuddyretard moderators, which is itself peak "Literally 1984" energy[2]. - The 1984 film was deliberately released on October 10, 1984, to coincide with Orwell's title[3]. - Director Michael Radford wrote the screenplay after unexpectedly obtaining the rights from a Chicago lawyer named Marvin Rosenblum who had been trying to produce the film independently[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Literally 1984? "Literally 1984" is a meme catchphrase and image macro format that sarcastically compares minor inconveniences or rules to the totalitarian dystopia in George Orwell's novel *Nineteen Eighty-Four*[1]. ### Where did Literally 1984 come from? The image macro version originated on Reddit's r/okbuddyretard subreddit on December 1, 2020, using a GIF of Big Brother from the 1984 film adaptation[2]. ### What does Literally 1984 mean? It's an ironic overreaction, equating trivial restrictions (like getting banned from a chat or being told not to do something silly) with full-blown government oppression[1]. ### How do you use Literally 1984? Either pair a mundane prohibition with the Big Brother image from the 1984 film, or simply type "Literally 1984" as a reply when you or someone else faces a minor restriction online[2]. ### Is Literally 1984 still popular? Yes. The catchphrase version is a staple response in Discord, Twitch, and Reddit communities whenever moderation actions occur, and the image macro format still sees regular use[1]. ### Who played Big Brother in the meme? Actor Bob Flag portrayed Big Brother in the 1984 film *Nineteen Eighty-Four*, directed by Michael Radford[2]. ### What is the 1984 film the meme comes from? It's a 1984 British dystopian film directed by Michael Radford, starring John Hurt and Richard Burton in his final screen role, based on George Orwell's 1949 novel[3]. ### Why was the original Reddit post removed? The post was removed by r/okbuddyretard moderators, though it had already gained over 1,900 upvotes and sparked widespread imitation of the format[2]. ### What platforms did Literally 1984 spread to? The meme spread from Reddit to iFunny, Instagram, and Twitter within the first week of December 2020, with Twitter users favoring a still image over the GIF format[2]. ### Is Literally 1984 used seriously or ironically? Mostly ironically, to mock overreactions to minor authority. Some users do deploy it semi-seriously during real debates about censorship and content moderation[1]. ## References 1. [R. Sundarrajan]() 2. [Literally 1984 - Urban Dictionary]() 3. [Literally 1984 - Know Your Meme]() 4. [Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984 film)]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/literally-1984 Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library