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Memes

What is the Wifejak meme and where did she come from?

“Target is having a sale this weekend.”

Photo of Lindsey Weedston

Lindsey Weedston

drawing of woman with red hair

Wifejak is a form of Wojak representing a stereotypical wife, often appearing as a meme alongside phrases attributed to married women. Reddit user AvaSpelledBackwards created her in her own image in the early 2020s. Wifejak (often misspelled as “Wifejack” later appeared on Twitter in meme form, followed shortly thereafter by the Husbandjak.

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Wifejak meme template.
Reddit

Like many of the Wojaks and the culture around them, the Wifejak became embroiled in controversy as people accused certain individuals of using her to promote misogyny.

What is the Wifejak meme?

The Wifejak is drawn in typical Wojak style but sports long red hair, a gray sweater, a necklace, freckles, a bit of makeup, and a small smile. In meme form, she’s typically paired with little statements or questions such as “I just threw 30 boxes into the garage” and “Where are we going this weekend?”

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Wifejak meme asking 'where are we going this weekend?'
@PaulSkallas/X

The meme began as a self-portrait and has been used by married women to poke fun at themselves, but its reliance on stereotypes quickly veered it into misogynist territory.

Where did the Wifejak meme come from?

Reddit user AvaSpelledBackwards drew the Wifejak and posted her to the forum “WojakDrawings” on January 7, 2021. The account and post have since been deleted, but according to meme lore, she based the character’s appearance on herself.

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Wifejak didn’t appear in meme form until over a year later. Twitter user @PaulSkallas posted her to his account on July 17, 2022, with a question about weekend plans.

Wifejak gets coopted

The Wifejak meme saw a resurgence in April of 2024 when it was co-opted by misogynists. Though plenty of men used the meme in a wholesome and loving manner, pairing her with cute and endearing statements made by their wives, others used her to express their hatred of women.

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Innocuous captions such as “I noticed your pillow was yellow and gross so I threw it out and got you a new one” were drowned out by stereotypes about women needing men to buy things for them all the time.

Wifejak meme about getting a spouse a new pillow.
@TheManlet_King/X

Daughterjak

Daughterjak meme template.
@TheManlet_King/X
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Daughterjak, created in Nov. 2024, is Wifejak and Husbandjak’s daughter. The Wojak variation is a mini version of Wifejak who has her mouth open, asking questions. Her mother has been modified and given downturned eyebrows expressing irritation with her daughter’s incessant questioning.

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@nervousamerican/X.com


Husbandjak

During the 2024 Wifejak surge, several Twitter users created new Wojak characters to represent a stereotypical husband naturally called Husbandjak. Most were based on the original Wojak character, drawn wearing blue sweaters or plaid collared shirts and either stubble or a full beard. They came with hair in many colors.

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One of the earliest tweets containing a Husbandjak was posted by @CartoonsHateHer on April 12, 2024, with the caption “I didn’t think you cared about your birthday that much.” Some men hated this particular version of the meme, claiming that the Twitter user was being “mean-spirited” by portraying a man who forgot his spouse’s birthday.

Later the same day, the Husbandjak poster sent out a sarcastic apology on the subject.

“Through listening to the lived experience of the Man community I have educated myself on the inherent microaggression and history behind such a meme as well as my unfortunate choice to culturally appropriate wojaks which are a sacred part of Man culture,” she wrote.

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Wifejak memes

Wifejak meme about Target sales.
@RobertMSterling/X
Wifejak meme about cold feet in bed.
@RobertMSterling/X
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Wifejak meme asking who Satoshi is.
@RobertMSterling/X
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@DunderMoose/X.com

WifeJak ‘gets hotter’

On Nov. 18, 2024, X.com user @rustbeltkid1 posted a variation of Wifejak with thicker hair in a half bun, a blue Christmas sweater, and a paper coffee cup. A quote retweet from @inconcel reads, “Why are these getting hotter.”

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@DunderMoose/X.com

Meme variations: WifeJak on the couch:

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@themysticalwest/X.com
wifejak on the couch meme
@themysticalwest/X.com
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wifejak on the couch
@themysticalwest/X.com

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@BecomingCritter/X.com
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