The Wifejak meme, and the meaning behind it, have been receiving a new wave of attention lately as people debate its intent. Are incels to blame?
Wifejak was initially created as a way to gently poke fun at married women and their interactions with their husbands. Although it was initially created by a woman, it became frequently used by men, often intended as an endearing way of pointing out things their wives do that are quirky and maybe even a little annoying, but that they love anyway.
Wifejak meaning: Different interpretations of the meme
By April 2024, three years after the image of Wifejak first graced the internet, things had taken a misogynistic turn. Some men began co-opting the meme to express irritation with their wives, or twisted existing iterations of it to fit their own anti-woman agenda.
The inconsistency has led to an uptick in disagreements over both what the Wifejak meme is used for, as well as the intent behind specific comments it’s been paired with.
The discourse hit a new peak in November 2024, as people have continued to argue over whether Wifejak is an innocuous meme or representative of underlying misogyny and patriarchal conditioning in our culture that men may not be fully grasping.
I like wifejak, she’s a very relatable meme for normal people with functional relationships. Y’all read into it too much cause your terminally online pic.twitter.com/nszOQhTDpx
— Jake Blackfingers (@Blackfingers63) November 18, 2024
Nick Fuentes attacks Wifejak
The divide between “Wifejak is for men who love their wives” and “Wifejak is for men who hate women” was likely exacerbated after Nick Fuentes, the far-right activist known for chanting “Your body, my choice” after Donald Trump won the 2024 election, weighed in.
X user @FrancosGhost had been celebrating the Wifejak meme as “the best example of rejecting boomerism,” writing, “the joke is no longer ‘I hate my wife’ it’s now become ‘I love my wife.’ Massive cultural victory.”
Fuentes, to nobody’s surprise, deemed this sentiment “f*cking pathetic.”
Thinking about wifejak and realizing she is the best example of rejecting boomerism, the joke is no longer “I hate my wife” it’s now become “I love my wife”. Massive cultural victory. pic.twitter.com/ElHsqAvOPC
— The Ghost of Francisco Franco (@FrancosGhost) November 23, 2024
This, in turn, led to an uptick in blatantly misogynistic responses supporting Fuentes’ insinuation that men loving their wives is something to be loathed, as well as the appropriate backlash.
May the Lord strike me dead if I ever become a wifeguy
— Ugly Stupid Freak Disliker (@FreakDisliker) November 24, 2024
it is right for husband and wife to appreciate and love each others’ eccentricities pic.twitter.com/fYCuzRUak8
— Dom Peet🟨⬛🏴𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪𒐪 (@dompeet_) November 24, 2024
The incels on this social network are so cringe…
— 丹下右膳🇫🇷🇯🇵 (@Gonishitagae) November 25, 2024
The whole West was built on knights picking up handkerchief dropped by a Lady in front of everyone to show his commitment to her before a deadly joust.
This is romantism, all the greatest Western warriors and Generals were so. pic.twitter.com/lhtJq1ImOa
Men tolerate their wives in reality.
— Ser Marty (@Great_Despair) November 24, 2024
Loving your wife is going mainstream!
— The Ghost of Francisco Franco (@FrancosGhost) November 24, 2024
I don’t have a wife, but I love my girlfriend to death.
— The Lore Lodge (@LoreLodge) November 25, 2024
I don’t know if Nick’s gay, but he’s definitely an incel. Like a real incel.
The Wifejak discourse rages on
Unfortunately, this has done absolutely nothing to clarify the Wifejak meme and how it should be used. If anything, the current discourse only seems to prove that Wifejak has come to represent different things to different people, with nobody willing to budge on their perspective of what’s at the heart of this meme.
Let me be crystal clear:
— Old Hollow Tree (@OldHollowTree) November 23, 2024
As men, you should be overwhelmingly charmed and endeared by this. It is cute and spellbinding.
Do not react with cynicism or annoyance!
When she innocently muses that the trash is full or there are leaves in the gutter, do not harden your heart and… https://t.co/K3kWjxLCFB pic.twitter.com/R4HpJbAnEx
America used to have television shows that were basically just wall-to-wall wifejak jokes. pic.twitter.com/o03jn4q5hb
— Dave Greene (@GreeneMan6) November 24, 2024
I’m constantly reminded of just how full the internet is with dorks and nerds.
— Hamilton (@Watchman_motto) November 25, 2024
Wifejak is a meme of endearment, not ridicule.
Anyway, you all take things too seriously. It’s supposed to be fun. You’re supposed to mess with and laugh at your spouse. You’re supposed to “trip” and… https://t.co/93zkQFQ0Cg
attempting some wifejack discourse synthesis here. plz afford me some grace
— seanm (@SeanMombo) November 24, 2024
imo wifejack captions trend towards passive comments. not necessarily passive aggressive, but the passivity many women will tell you that they themselves were and ARE forced to use to survive in society… pic.twitter.com/15SmOtDS0G
Bitter women who can’t manage a relationship with enough built-in humor for wifejak memes hate wifejak for reminded them that they are bitter.
— SidewaysKoyote (@sidewayskoyote) November 23, 2024
It’s not “misogyny”, it’s bitterness. https://t.co/UEPhcZ2nyC
I don’t think OP is implying this is manipulative. It’s just cute that she phrases her requests this way. And it’s relatable to men who know their wife is like this.
— Peter (@maquisardberet) November 24, 2024
We may never come to an agreement on Wifejak, but that certainly isn’t going to stop those who have come to love it from both using and interpreting it exactly the way they want to.
That Wifejak account has somehow done the impossible of making a wholesome meme that actually is entertaining for once
— Samuel Tapper (@SamuelTapper) November 24, 2024
Related memes:
- What is the Wifejak meme and where did she come from?
- How Wojak became the internet’s all-encompassing reaction meme
- ‘Can we keep him?’: Catjak joins the Wojak family
- ‘Why? Why? Why’: Daughterjak joins the Wojak family
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