Sad Duck Pointing At Himself Memes derived from a scene from Walt Disney’s 1939 animated short, The Ugly Duckling. In the scene, the ugly duckling points at himself and then sheds a tear. The adorable moment later became a favorite meme for all the sad folks out there.
Meme basics:
- Meme Creator: Vica me biondina/Facebook
- Meme Type: Exploitable, Reaction
- First Appearance: April 2013
- Origin Source: Facebook
- Peak Popularity: January 2025
Where is the Sad Duck Pointing At Himself Meme from?
The Sad Duck Pointing At Himself Meme is from a 1939 Walt Disney animated short called The Ugly Duckling. @loforndelvidre uploaded the short to YouTube in March 2008. Since it was uploaded, the 8-minute creation has been viewed over 76 million times.
The scene comes about halfway through the short, after the duck is rejected by its parents and siblings.
Meme spread
The earliest use of the sad duck in a meme came in April 2013, when it was combined with a meme of Chris Pine pointing. The “who me?” “Yes you,” format enjoyed some spread on Facebook during that time.
As the meme enjoyed some circulation on Facebook during this time, other versions started to emerge. And with these new versions, the Sad Duck Pointing At Himself began to spread even further.
Another variation of the meme showed up in mid-2014, showing a more realistic, painted depiction of the same duck.
The second version of this meme largely died out in early 2015. Both versions of the meme have periodically popped back up, enjoying another resurgence in 2023.
Not only is the meme used to depict sad moments of rejection, but it’s also used to say “Who, me?” to a particular statement or instance.
Meme examples
More sad memes:
- Sad memes to help laugh the pain away
- Meme History: Why sad Michael Jordan is the MVP of crying memes
- Disappointed memes: From Hercules to a sad cricket fan
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