# Works Cited: Crack Pipe

Works Cited: Crack Pipe is a reaction image pairing a stock photo of a dirty meth pipe with the label "Works Cited," used to mock arguments so unhinged they could only come from someone smoking crack. The format began circulating in mid-2020 and by 2023 was pulling tens of thousands of likes on X when users deployed it against conspiracy claims and far-right talking points.

## Origin
The meth pipe photo at the center of the format was listed on iStock on October 30, 2008[1]. The exact first pairing of that image with the "Works Cited" caption is undocumented, but the earliest archived example is an August 16, 2020, Facebook post by the page "I'm in pain all the time" replying to QAnon material, which collected more than 200 likes over the next three years[2].

By mid-August 2020 it was circulating as a ready-made retort rather than a one-off joke. On August 12, 2020, iFunny user Ismael applied it to a bit about Calvinist theological debate, showing the template was already portable to any argument the poster wanted to dismiss[3].

- **Platform:** Facebook / iFunny (early use)
- **Creator:** Unknown
- **Date:** 2020

## Overview
The image is simple: a close-up stock photo of a used glass meth pipe with the plain-text header "Works Cited" slapped above it[1]. Users post it as a reply to a claim they consider so detached from reality that the only citation they can imagine for it is the drug paraphernalia supposedly fueling the argument[2]. It functions as a visual mic drop, closer to "source: your ass" than to a real academic rejoinder.

Typical deployments target conspiracy theories, fringe political takes, and sweeping statistics with no backing. The underlying meth pipe photograph was originally uploaded to iStock in October 2008 under the title "Methamphetamine Pipe," which gave the meme its grimy, clinical look[1]. People sometimes crop or reframe the image, but the two-word caption stays fixed[2].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Works Cited: Crack Pipe?
It is a reaction image pairing a stock photo of a used meth pipe with the label "Works Cited," used to imply an argument is so baseless the source must be drugs[2].

### Where did Works Cited: Crack Pipe come from?
The underlying photo was uploaded to iStock on October 30, 2008[1], and the earliest known meme use is an August 16, 2020, Facebook post replying to QAnon content[2].

### What does Works Cited: Crack Pipe mean?
It is a sarcastic citation joke: the poster suggests the only possible source for an outlandish claim is a crack pipe[7].

### How do you use Works Cited: Crack Pipe?
People typically drop it as a reply under a conspiracy post or wild statistic, letting the image stand in for a full rebuttal[6].

### Is Works Cited: Crack Pipe still popular?
It is still in rotation on X and Instagram, where posts using the format drew tens of thousands of likes in 2023[5][6].

## References
1. [https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/methamphetamine-pipe-gm104270976-7646987](<https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/methamphetamine-pipe-gm104270976-7646987>)
2. [https://www.facebook.com/101548351270111/posts/308888770536067](<https://www.facebook.com/101548351270111/posts/308888770536067>)
3. [https://ifunny.co/meme/works-cited-debating-calvinists-like-debating-calvinists-like-ZBnLC0Qt7](<https://ifunny.co/meme/works-cited-debating-calvinists-like-debating-calvinists-like-ZBnLC0Qt7>)
4. [https://www.facebook.com/MaoZhuxiWanSui/posts/pfbid0XHCKPZaG8oT7Co7ZroAT1wgDFskccHFZoYKUGCaUqQFAPAcQqympZoHPuBBiY9JUl](<https://www.facebook.com/MaoZhuxiWanSui/posts/pfbid0XHCKPZaG8oT7Co7ZroAT1wgDFskccHFZoYKUGCaUqQFAPAcQqympZoHPuBBiY9JUl>)
5. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CqQvU-VSRZ1/](<https://www.instagram.com/p/CqQvU-VSRZ1/>)
6. [https://twitter.com/EuphoriTori/status/1641993466182868994](<https://twitter.com/EuphoriTori/status/1641993466182868994>)
7. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/works-cited-crack-pipe](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/works-cited-crack-pipe>)

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Source: https://meme.com/memes/works-cited-crack-pipe
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