Thats The Evilest Thing I Can Imagine

2004Reaction image / image macroclassic

Also known as: Mojo Jojo Evilest Thing · That's the Evilest Thing

"That's the Evilest Thing I Can Imagine" is a reaction image macro featuring the villain Mojo Jojo from the Cartoon Network animated series *The Powerpuff Girls*. The meme originated from a 2004 episode and spread online starting in 2011, peaking in early 2013 when users paired the tearful quote with descriptions of petty pranks and minor acts of trolling.

Overview

The meme uses a screenshot or GIF of Mojo Jojo, the green-skinned supervillain from *The Powerpuff Girls*, crying tears of joy while saying "Why, that's the evilest thing I can imagine!" The format pairs this reaction with images or descriptions of harmless but devious pranks, petty trolling schemes, or juvenile tricks. The humor comes from the contrast between Mojo Jojo's dramatic, tearful declaration of pure evil and the actual prank being described, which is usually something like disguising onions as candy apples or tricking someone into smelling something unpleasant2.

The source scene comes from the *Powerpuff Girls* episode "Custody Battle," which premiered on Cartoon Network on July 16, 20042. In the episode, villains Him and Mojo Jojo compete over who can impress the Rowdyruff Boys (rivals of the Powerpuff Girls) by performing evil deeds. When the Rowdyruff Boy Brick tells them the boys only care about destroying the Powerpuff Girls, Mojo Jojo replies with tears in his eyes, "Why, that's the evilest thing I can imagine!"2

The scene sat dormant online for years until Tumblr user Ametrine posted an animated GIF of the moment on September 9, 20112. This GIF became the foundation for the meme format that would take off roughly two years later.

Origin & Background

Platform
Cartoon Network (source material), Tumblr (GIF), 9gag / Reddit (viral spread)
Key People
Ametrine, vladimirvamp12
Date
2004 (source material), 2011 (meme origin)

The source scene comes from the *Powerpuff Girls* episode "Custody Battle," which premiered on Cartoon Network on July 16, 20042. In the episode, villains Him and Mojo Jojo compete over who can impress the Rowdyruff Boys (rivals of the Powerpuff Girls) by performing evil deeds. When the Rowdyruff Boy Brick tells them the boys only care about destroying the Powerpuff Girls, Mojo Jojo replies with tears in his eyes, "Why, that's the evilest thing I can imagine!"2

The scene sat dormant online for years until Tumblr user Ametrine posted an animated GIF of the moment on September 9, 20112. This GIF became the foundation for the meme format that would take off roughly two years later.

How It Spread

The meme hit its stride in February 2013. On February 12, 9gag user vladimirvamp12 uploaded a post showing onions disguised as caramel apples, followed by the Mojo Jojo reaction image2. The post blew up, racking up over 36,000 upvotes and 11,000 Facebook shares within nine days.

Eight days later, on February 20, Reddit user gh7gpx submitted a similar format post featuring instructions on tricking someone into smelling flatulence, paired with the Him and Mojo Jojo reaction image2. That post pulled in over 4,200 upvotes and 40 comments within 24 hours.

The format spread quickly across meme communities after these two posts. Users applied the template to all kinds of low-stakes evil schemes: swapping sugar with salt, putting googly eyes on everything in the fridge, or wrapping a coworker's desk in aluminum foil. The meme's appeal was its simplicity and the built-in punchline of Mojo Jojo's over-the-top emotional reaction to mundane mischief.

How to Use This Meme

The format typically follows a two-part structure:

1

Present a prank, trolling scheme, or minor act of mischief (often with a photo or description)

2

Follow it with the Mojo Jojo "That's the evilest thing I can imagine" reaction image

Fun Facts

Mojo Jojo is one of the most frequently memed characters from *The Powerpuff Girls*, largely thanks to his verbose speaking style and dramatic personality2.

The episode "Custody Battle" features a rare team-up between Him and Mojo Jojo, two villains who are usually at odds with each other2.

The meme format shares DNA with "Some Men Just Want to Watch the World Burn," another reaction format used to celebrate petty chaos2.

There was roughly a two-year gap between the Tumblr GIF appearing in 2011 and the meme going viral in 20132.

Frequently Asked Questions