What is My Father-In-Law Is A Builder?

It is a copypasta from Christian commentator Jeremy Wayne Tate that posters set next to photos for ironic contrast with Tate's reverent cathedral anecdote.

Where did My Father-In-Law Is A Builder come from?

Twitter user @JeremyTate41 posted the sincere original on June 16th, 2023, as praise for Gothic architecture.

What does My Father-In-Law Is A Builder mean?

Tate's point was that modern builders can't match Gothic cathedrals, but other users apply the quote ironically to mock any underwhelming subject.

How do you use My Father-In-Law Is A Builder?

Post the full copypasta next to a photo of unremarkable or ugly architecture, infrastructure, or technology.

Is My Father-In-Law Is A Builder still popular?

Engagement peaked across summer 2023, with reuse extending to non-architectural targets like LK-99 by August.

My Father-In-Law Is A Builder

2023copypastasemi-active

Published October 19, 2026

Christian commentator Jeremy Wayne Tate posted a reverent anecdote about cathedrals on Twitter in June 2023, which turned into the My Father-In-Law Is A Builder copypasta after its closing line, 'We can't, we don't know how to do it,' took off1. Within a day, posters were setting the quote against photos of strip malls and prefab playgrounds to mock modern construction3. By August 2023, the format reached non-architectural targets like the failed LK-99 superconductor claims5.

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Overview

My Father-In-Law Is A Builder, also known as We Can't, We Don't Know How To Do It, works by setting Tate's quote next to a photograph that undercuts its reverent tone. The humor comes from the gap between an earnest cathedral anecdote and whatever mundane or ugly subject sits below it4. Typical targets include suburban sprawl, prefab playgrounds, parking lot complexes, and bland apartment blocks3.

Replies to Tate's original tweets split along ideological lines. Architects and historians argued that cathedral construction never stopped, pointing to projects like Sagrada Família1. Other users ran with Tate's opening and applied the copypasta to anything they thought stood for civilizational decline, including technology and failed scientific claims5.

Gallery

Origin & Background

Platform

Twitter

Creator

Jeremy Wayne Tate

Date

2023

On June 16th, 2023, Twitter user @JeremyTate41 posted the first version of the My Father-In-Law Is A Builder copypasta alongside a cathedral photo as sincere praise for Gothic architecture1. The text ends with his father-in-law's line, 'We can't, we don't know how to do it.' That post earned over 18,200 likes within two months4.

Exactly one month later, on July 16th, 2023, Tate posted a shortened rewrite with a different cathedral image, earning over 29,000 likes in under three weeks2. The second version cut the 'lost in wonder' phrasing and tightened the setup, which helped the copypasta travel further.

How It Spread

Reposts began the day after Tate's first tweet. On June 17th, 2023, user @maxdubler set the copypasta against a photo of Breezewood, Pennsylvania, the strip of gas stations and chain restaurants often used as shorthand for American sprawl, earning over 2,700 likes3.

After Tate's July 16th rewrite, the ironic version got more traction. User @YIMBYLAND tweeted the quote over a wooden playground, which reached over 9,100 likes4. On August 4th, 2023, @goth600 applied the format to the LK-99 room-temperature superconductor claims that collapsed under scrutiny that same week, earning almost 900 likes in a day5.

Timeline

2023-06-16

@JeremyTate41 posts the sincere original cathedral tweet, which earns over 18,200 likes[1].

2023-06-17

@maxdubler applies the copypasta to a Breezewood, Pennsylvania photo, earning over 2,700 likes[3].

2023-07-16

Tate reposts a shortened version with a different cathedral, earning over 29,000 likes[2].

2023-07-16

@YIMBYLAND tweets the copypasta over a wooden playground image, reaching over 9,100 likes[4].

2023-08-04

@goth600 extends the format to the LK-99 superconductor saga, earning almost 900 likes in a day[5].

How to Use This Meme

Begin with Tate's copypasta verbatim. Combine it with a photo of something ordinary, ugly, or disappointing to flip the sincere cathedral tone into mockery. Common targets include suburban infrastructure, failed science claims, and generic consumer products.