Buzz
Discover everything you need to know about the hilarious Tumblr meme
Memes have become a unique form of expression on the internet, and keeping up with all the trends can be tricky! If you’ve encountered the 'Spiders Georg' meme and are unsure of its meaning, we’re here to break it down. 'Spiders Georg' humorously plays on the misconception that people swallow spiders in their sleep, claiming instead that a character named Spiders Georg distorts the average by consuming thousands of spiders daily. Keep reading for a full breakdown of the 'Spiders Georg' meme, its backstory, and much more!
An Introduction to the Spiders Georg Meme
'Spiders Georg' is a viral meme that originated from a Tumblr post in 2013. It humorously mocks the popular myth that humans unknowingly swallow about three spiders each year in their sleep. The meme introduces a fictional character, Spiders Georg, who consumes an absurd 10,000 spiders every day, offering a playful twist on the myth and skewing the average in the process.
Process
What is the meaning behind 'Spiders Georg'?
'Spiders Georg' is an internet meme that first appeared on Tumblr. It humorously critiques an urban legend about how many spiders people allegedly swallow each year, using a fictional character called 'Spiders Georg.' The meme pokes fun at the false statistic, suggesting that Spiders Georg skews the average by consuming more than 10,000 spiders daily. The original text post states:
- 'average person eats 3 spiders a year' factoid actually just a statistical error. average person eats 0 spiders per year. Spiders Georg, who lives in a cave & eats over 10,000 each day, is an outlier and should not have been counted
- In statistics, 'outliers' refer to data points that are so far from the norm that they significantly alter the average (or mean), much like 'Spiders Georg' compared to the typical person in this meme.
The Origins of the Spiders Georg Meme
Max Lavergne created the Spiders Georg meme in 2013. The myth about people swallowing spiders in their sleep began circulating sometime in the early 2010s, but its precise origins remain unclear. In response to this, Tumblr user Max Lavergne humorously posted on January 9th, 2013, claiming that the spider statistic was a mistake caused by 'Spiders Georg.'
- The false spider statistic has several variations; different versions of the urban legend exist.
- The supposed average could be 3, 6, 8, or any number, but none of them are true. There's no legitimate claim that humans swallow spiders in their sleep.
How the Spiders Georg Meme Evolved & Spread
After its creation, the Spiders Georg meme was widely adapted and remixed by Tumblr users. By the end of 2013, the original post had gone viral on Tumblr, racking up over 90,000 notes. Many users began creating their own variations, often focusing on different themes and topics while deliberately mimicking the original post’s grammatical quirks. For instance:
- 'we all live in a yellow submarine' factoid actually just statistical error. Average person does not live in yellow submarine. Georg Harrison, who lives with fellow Beatles in 10,000 yellow submarines, is an outlier and should not have been counted — Tumblr user venort
- 'average person chops down 1 cherry tree per year' factoid actually just statistical error. Average person chops down 0 cherry trees per year. Washington Georg, who lives in a white house & chops down 10,000 cherry trees every day, is an outlier and should not have been counted — Tumblr user rkssystem
- 'average writer kills 3 characters a year' factoid actually just statistical error. Average writer kills 0 characters per year. Georg R.R. Martin, who lives in Santa Fe & kills over 10,000 each day, is an outlier and should not have been counted — Tumblr user caterjunes
The Spiders Georg meme led to the creation of other blogs and deeper lore around the character. Over time, 'Spiders Georg' has taken on a life of its own, even inspiring a Tumblr blog dedicated to the character. Some fans went so far as to calculate how many spiders Spiders Georg would have to eat each day to make the global average of 3, with Tumblr user Jdniemand estimating around 57 million.
- In June 2013, a Facebook page for 'Spiders Georg' was created, featuring an edited image of Nicolas Cage as the character.
- In August 2013, Reddit user brostrider shared the Spiders Georg meme in a comment under a post in the /r/todayilearned subreddit.
- Some Tumblr users began speculating that Spiders Georg lives in Night Vale (from the Welcome to Night Vale podcast).
- The Daily Dot published an article in November 2013 about the meme’s rise and Spiders Georg’s growing status as an internet icon.
The Spiders Georg meme is still referenced online today. The meme was mentioned in the 2021 book Tumblr, supporting the idea that Tumblr’s cultural impact can’t be captured through simple averages. In August 2023, Business Insider referenced the meme, calling Donald Trump the 'Spiders Georg of world leaders' after his 91 felony charges resulted in the statistic that the average U.S. president has 2 felony charges.
How to Use the Spiders Georg Meme
Use the meme to humorously highlight 'outliers' in pop culture or debunk fake facts. The original Spiders Georg meme humorously exposes the oddity of a strange statistic. You can create your own by poking fun at anything from fictional characters to outlandish (or fake) facts you come across. Think of something that could be considered an 'outlier' and adapt the meme to it. For example:
- Did you know that Napoleon—the French Emperor—was once attacked by rabbits while on a hunt? The Spiders Georg meme for this fact might look like:
- 'average person loses 1 fight to a rabbit per year' factoid actually just statistical error. Average person loses 0 fights with rabbits. Napoleon Georg, who lost a fight with over 1,000 rabbits, is an outlier and should not have been counted
