Social media can be a bafflingly hilarious place at times. It’s very hard to guess what memes will go viral (or why!). Nor can we ever be certain what will end up becoming a part of internet culture in the long run. However, the relatability of a meme is one major factor to keep in mind. Case in point, ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ memes continue to raise eyebrows as they both amuse and confuse internet users in the United States and Europe.

To put it simply, these witty and slightly self-deprecating memes are a way for Americans to gently poke fun at European culture—as well as their own—by showing how different they think they are. The entire point is to post something from the US that might (semi-ironically) ‘shock’ someone living in Europe. Scroll down for the freshest memes and a reminder about how strange internet humor can get.

Bored Panda reached out to Substack blogger and X (formerly Twitter) user @JSlaughterEsq, one of the people who created some of the first ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ memes. He was kind enough to share some of his thoughts about the popularity of these memes, as well as American culture and self-perception. You’ll find his insights below.

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Substack blogger and X user @JSlaughterEsq shared his thoughts with Bored Panda about why ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ memes have been such a big hit on the internet.

“I believe the meme is popular with Americans because we have something similar to an inferiority complex, and the meme allows us to project our culture as something that is too extreme, rugged, or masculine for Europeans,” he shared his perspective.

“It is partly a defense mechanism but simultaneously speaks to the reality that America has a rugged spirit that appears nonexistent in Western Europe.”

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Some internet users who see these sorts of memes take them a tad too personally. We were curious to get the blogger’s thoughts on how everyone can learn to take these memes, as well as themselves, slightly less seriously.

“I think people need to realize there is truth in most memes—that is why they are funny, and that laughing at our differences is a way for us to better understand each other,” @JSlaughterEsq said.

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The blogger also shared a few thoughts about the possible culture shocks that someone from Europe might face when they visit the United States for the very first time.

“The size of the US is something that may shock most Europeans,” he said. “Visiting New York is not the same as visiting Alabama. It would be similar to visiting Germany and comparing that experience to Spain.”

He added that the Southern US is incredible when it comes to hospitality. “Many Europeans would be shocked at how friendly Southerners are. Plus, the gun culture is something most Europeans cannot seem to understand.”

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The trend to create and (re)share ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ memes first started taking root on the X social network less than a year ago.

At the core of the meme is the idea of posting jokes about real or perceived cultural differences between living in the United States and the European continent.

According to Know Your Meme, the earliest recorded version of a ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ meme was spotted on July 27, 2023. The post on X featured performer Micahel ‘Chili Dawn’ Castleberry, who played the guitar using a beer bottle, using it as a slide. That particular post, made by user @TPropositi (now @JSlaughterEsq, whom we got in touch with), got 26k likes in a month.

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Two days later, after that popular post, the meme took its first steps toward even greater virality. X user @rob_mcsta shared a photo of an ice box with the tag ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ and got 3k likes in a month. Things ramped up after that. On September 4, user @powerbottomdad1 shared a screenshot of how long it takes to travel from NYC to LA by car, getting 67k likes in just two days.

In response, some X social network users started posting ‘The American Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ memes. Some popular examples of this meme, which got thousands of likes on the platform, included pictures of a handle being used to crack open the top of the window, as well as a European Union ID card. 

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Many folks enjoy these memes, as evidenced by the constant stream of activity on the X social network. X users love making new memes. Other internet users, however, aren’t such big fans of the concept behind ‘The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This.’ They believe that the memes are ‘evidence’ that one culture is ‘better’ than the other. Or they see it as an ‘attack’ on American or European culture. This can’t be further from the truth.

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Most of these content creators only ever make these memes to make people laugh and smile. They do this by sharing spot-on insights, purposefully exaggerating cultural differences, or using irony to hone in on popular stereotypes. This doesn’t mean that we should celebrate low-level humor (it’s important to be honest with ourselves about what is and isn’t funny).

However, it does mean that we owe it to ourselves not to be overly serious about something as straightforward as silly internet pics. Travel broadens the mind, and if anything, these memes are an invitation for everyone to expand their cultural horizons.

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Most of us probably know that all cultures have their pros and cons. A big part of humor means being self-aware and comfortable enough to accept reality and to gently make fun of our own flaws.

In this case, this means acknowledging that one’s culture might not be ‘perfect’ and embracing those quirks with the help of some lighthearted content. It’s meant to be amusing, not analytical.

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Since humor is the main topic here, we have to accept that some of these posts are going to be subjectively (un)funny to some people. Simply put, we tend to like different jokes. Also, you can’t expect all of these cultural comparisons to make sense—many of these differences are hyperbolized to a massive extent, all for the sake of comedy. Some people love it. Others don’t.

The point is not to take the memes (or oneself) too seriously: these images are not objective insights or in-depth analyses of culture. There might be a kernel of truth in them, but the focus is on the comedy!

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What are your thoughts about these silly memes, dear Pandas? What do you personally enjoy the most about American and European culture? Did you experience any serious culture shocks when you traveled to the US or Europe for the very first time? We always enjoy hearing your opinions, so feel free to share yours in the comment section.

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Source: boredpanda.com