# They Brainwashed You

They Brainwashed You is an exploitable two-figure image where one restroom-icon character accuses the other of being brainwashed, and the second flips the charge back with a smug 'Really?' Spanish-speaking Catholic Facebook page Memes Bautistas Cristianos posted the original in November 2019[1], contrasting progressive and conservative values. By June 2021, English edits reached r/OkBuddyRetard with ironic takes claiming Irish people aren't real[8].

## Origin
Spanish-speaking Facebook page Memes Bautistas Cristianos posted the first known version on November 21st, 2019, captioned 'Te Lavaron El Celebro… / ¿Te Parece?' (translated from Spanish: 'They Brainwashed You / Really?')[1]. One day later, Brazilian Catholic Facebook page Catholicum Regnum reposted a Portuguese translation that picked up over 400 reactions and about 2,400 shares[2]. Know Your Meme later documented both posts as the origin of the format[5].

- **Platform:** Facebook (Spanish-speaking Catholic pages) / Reddit (English spread)
- **Creator:** Memes Bautistas Cristianos (Facebook page)
- **Date:** 2019

## Overview
They Brainwashed You edits rely on object labeling. Creators tag each restroom figure with opposing symbols, slogans, or group names, so the character who throws the accusation is exposed as the one actually brainwashed. Early Spanish and Portuguese versions kept religious or political contrasts, pitting progressivism against Catholic tradition[2].

As the image moved into English, the format shed its ideological roots. Instagram user woodworkingirony applied the joke to amateur carpentry in February 2021[7], and later Reddit edits ran it on nationalities and absurd claims[8]. The humor rests on the second figure's blank confidence, since whichever side insists the other is brainwashed, the viewer reads the responder as either the one with real self-awareness or the oblivious true believer, depending on which labels the creator picks[5].

## How to Use
To make a They Brainwashed You edit, creators object label the two restroom figures with contrasting identities, ideologies, or groups. The figure on the left typically throws the 'brainwashed' accusation while the figure on the right responds with 'Really?' The joke often targets whichever side the creator thinks lacks self-awareness, with early Spanish versions mocking wokeness and later English remixes applying the same beat to niche interests or absurd claims[5].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is They Brainwashed You?
It's an exploitable image macro showing two restroom-sign figures, where one tells the other 'They brainwashed you' and the second replies 'Really?,' turning the accusation back around[5].

### Where did They Brainwashed You come from?
The Spanish-speaking Catholic Facebook page Memes Bautistas Cristianos posted the original on November 21st, 2019, captioned 'Te Lavaron El Celebro… / ¿Te Parece?'[1].

### What does They Brainwashed You mean?
The joke suggests that whoever makes the brainwashing accusation is often the one actually under its influence, with creators labeling the two figures with opposing views[2].

### How do you use They Brainwashed You?
Edit the two restroom icons with contrasting labels, like political ideologies or hobby groups, so the figure making the accusation is implied to be the one who's really brainwashed[7].

### Is They Brainwashed You still popular?
The template saw heavy use through 2021 in English-speaking meme circles like r/OkBuddyRetard[8], though its biggest moments stayed in Spanish and Portuguese Facebook communities around 2019[2].

## References
1. [https://www.facebook.com/253436855216613/posts/562154581011504](<https://www.facebook.com/253436855216613/posts/562154581011504>)
2. [https://www.facebook.com/catholicumregnum/posts/129965201762658](<https://www.facebook.com/catholicumregnum/posts/129965201762658>)
3. [https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10218078190297661&set=p.10218078190297661&type=3](<https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10218078190297661&set=p.10218078190297661&type=3>)
4. [https://twitter.com/brazilianboomer/status/1200168703515648003](<https://twitter.com/brazilianboomer/status/1200168703515648003>)
5. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/they-brainwashed-you](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/they-brainwashed-you>)
6. [https://www.facebook.com/505586632896824/posts/3416315681823890](<https://www.facebook.com/505586632896824/posts/3416315681823890>)
7. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CLgSJQ9j1gN/](<https://www.instagram.com/p/CLgSJQ9j1gN/>)
8. [https://www.reddit.com/r/okbuddyretard/comments/ob2o99/irish_people_arent_real/](<https://www.reddit.com/r/okbuddyretard/comments/ob2o99/irish_people_arent_real/>)

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Source: https://meme.com/memes/they-brainwashed-you
Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library