Original Vs Un Tumblrized

2017image macrodead

Original vs. Un-tumblrized is a 2018 image edit meme that pairs a character's canonical design with a whiter, thinner, sexier 'fixed' version. Started as an edit of Fortnite's Tank Penny posted to 4chan in July 2017, it went viral through a Twitter repost in January 2018 and spawned parody variations before fading out.

two panel memescharacter design memesculture war memesphotoshop memes4chan memes

Overview

Original vs. Un-tumblrized is a comparison chart format that pairs a female character's canonical design with a 'fixed' alternative version that makes her whiter, thinner, and dressed more provocatively3. The term mocks the idea that any character with diverse traits, like dark skin, body fat, tattoos, or dyed hair, was designed specifically to appease Tumblr users, and that the 'un-tumblrized' edit restores what she was supposed to look like1.

The format runs as a straightforward side-by-side, usually with the original labeled on the left and the edit on the right. Critics and fans both circled it because the aesthetic priorities of the edit, from cross necklaces to blonde hair to shrunken waistlines, made the values of whoever created it hard to miss3.

How It Spread

The image sat mostly unnoticed for months until Twitter user @incantatricks2 posted it on January 24th, 2018, where it pulled in over 4,800 retweets and 13,000 likes. @incantatricks later told BuzzFeed that a friend had found the image on an alt-right blog they couldn't name1.

The tweet set off a discourse loop. Critics pointed out that the 'un-tumblrized' version swapped Penny's features for stereotypically Aryan traits (blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin) and added a cross necklace, which read to many as an unintentionally revealing wishlist. Tumblr user weepycat4 reposted the image the same day with a longer critique calling out the removal of the character's belly fat, tattoo, dyed hair, and skin tone, and the post pulled over 38,000 notes.

Parody variations followed within days. Twitter user @milonssecretcat5 responded with an 'un-tumblrized' edit that gave a video game character exaggerated breasts and a Pepe the Frog sticker, gaining over 280 retweets. @Naan_Binary_6 posted a version comparing Pikachu designs that pulled over 820 retweets, and BuzzFeed's Krishrach covered the whole cycle on January 29th, 20181.

How to Use This Meme

Making an Original vs. Un-tumblrized edit typically starts with a canonical character on the left and a modified version on the right. Common conventions include shrinking the waist, lightening the skin tone, swapping the outfit for something skimpier, and adding a joke element like religious iconography or a Pepe sticker for the parody variants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Original Vs Un Tumblrized

2017image macrodead

Original vs. Un-tumblrized is a 2018 image edit meme that pairs a character's canonical design with a whiter, thinner, sexier 'fixed' version. Started as an edit of Fortnite's Tank Penny posted to 4chan in July 2017, it went viral through a Twitter repost in January 2018 and spawned parody variations before fading out.

two panel memes character design memes culture war memes photoshop memes 4chan memes

Overview

Original vs. Un-tumblrized is a comparison chart format that pairs a female character's canonical design with a 'fixed' alternative version that makes her whiter, thinner, and dressed more provocatively3. The term mocks the idea that any character with diverse traits, like dark skin, body fat, tattoos, or dyed hair, was designed specifically to appease Tumblr users, and that the 'un-tumblrized' edit restores what she was supposed to look like1.

The format runs as a straightforward side-by-side, usually with the original labeled on the left and the edit on the right. Critics and fans both circled it because the aesthetic priorities of the edit, from cross necklaces to blonde hair to shrunken waistlines, made the values of whoever created it hard to miss3.

How It Spread

The image sat mostly unnoticed for months until Twitter user @incantatricks2 posted it on January 24th, 2018, where it pulled in over 4,800 retweets and 13,000 likes. @incantatricks later told BuzzFeed that a friend had found the image on an alt-right blog they couldn't name1.

The tweet set off a discourse loop. Critics pointed out that the 'un-tumblrized' version swapped Penny's features for stereotypically Aryan traits (blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin) and added a cross necklace, which read to many as an unintentionally revealing wishlist. Tumblr user weepycat4 reposted the image the same day with a longer critique calling out the removal of the character's belly fat, tattoo, dyed hair, and skin tone, and the post pulled over 38,000 notes.

Parody variations followed within days. Twitter user @milonssecretcat5 responded with an 'un-tumblrized' edit that gave a video game character exaggerated breasts and a Pepe the Frog sticker, gaining over 280 retweets. @Naan_Binary_6 posted a version comparing Pikachu designs that pulled over 820 retweets, and BuzzFeed's Krishrach covered the whole cycle on January 29th, 20181.

How to Use This Meme

Making an Original vs. Un-tumblrized edit typically starts with a canonical character on the left and a modified version on the right. Common conventions include shrinking the waist, lightening the skin tone, swapping the outfit for something skimpier, and adding a joke element like religious iconography or a Pepe sticker for the parody variants.

Frequently Asked Questions