“If You Don’t Love Me at My . . .” Is the Internet’s Self-Care Meme

April 4, 2018

Self-care has swept all the way into meme culture. Need proof? Look no further than the “If you don’t love me at my . . .” meme, which artfully juxtaposes the best with the worst of, well, nearly anything and anyone, to show that we’ve all lived through both high times and some very low ones, but that we all deserve to be loved. What started as a tweet among K-pop enthusiasts quickly spread to other celebrities, movies, and pop culture—and now has us all remembering both infamous mug shots (Lindsay Lohan and Justin Bieber), the many phases of Lady Gaga, Monica and Rachel, and even the triumphs and tribulations of one fictional fashion-glossy editor, Miranda Priestly.

The meme formula requires one photo for “If you don’t love me at my,” and one for the corresponding “Then you don’t deserve me at my.” For those looking to contribute to this noble attempt to honor the breadth of human (or sponge) experience, find some of the best inspiration below:

Timothée Chalamet