In May 2023, an otherwise ordinary Reddit post unexpectedly sparked a meme that spread across multiple platforms and inspired thousands of people online to laugh, recreate, remix, and even tattoo the same phrase on their bodies.
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The Story Behind the Meme
The actual meaning of Shrimps is Bugs is mostly humorous and surreal, it’s not a literal scientific claim. In truth, shrimps are crustaceans, more closely related to crabs and lobsters, not insects.
Still, both shrimps and insects belong to the broader group Arthropoda, which gives the phrase a playful pseudo-truth vibe as if seafood and land bugs are cousins in a weird biological family.
The phrase’s wild, ungrammatical wording Shrimps is bugs instead of Shrimp are bugs also contributes to its comedic appeal, blending absurd grammar with absurd logic.
How It Spread
After the original post went viral, a dedicated subreddit, r/ShrimpsIsBugs, formed and grew rapidly, becoming a community hub for related memes and photos.
Also Read: I Will Be There No Matter What Meme Meaning and Origin Explained
Users began creating their own versions:
- Tattoo designs reading the phrase
- Cakes, drawings, memes, images on social media
- Mash-ups and surreal variants playing on the idea
The meme spread across Reddit, social networks, image boards, and even artist posts (such as a shared tweet about “Shrimps is Bugs” humor) — though the exact text of the referenced X post you linked wasn’t available to scrape, a similar share acknowledges the humorous take that shrimps could be considered “bugs” in a playful sense.
| Info | Details |
|---|---|
| Meme Name | Shrimps Is Bugs |
| Origin Platform | |
| First Viral Post | Reddit user u/Lewbular asking for tattoo cover-up ideas |
| Date First Posted | May 16–17, 2023 |
| Meme Spread | Tattoos, subreddit r/ShrimpsIsBugs, cakes, online art |
| Core Phrase | “Shrimps is bugs” |
| Scientific Accuracy | Shrimps are crustaceans, not literal bugs |
| Why It’s Funny | Nonsensical grammar + playful comparison of shrimp to bugs |
Why the Meme became popular
- Absurdity and humor – A nonsensical phrase that reads like something between a punchline and a philosophical statement.
- Visual appeal – Simple tattoo, easy to meme, remix, and recreate.
- Community embrace – People online rallied around the joke, making it a sort of inside joke for meme lovers.
- Biology twist – It reminds people that shrimps are arthropods, which while not insects are biologically closer to bugs than most realize.
The meme began on Reddit when user u/Lewbular posted a photo of his tattoo and requested ideas to cover it up. The post quickly gained massive attention, with thousands of users encouraging him to keep it.
Not exactly. Shrimps are crustaceans, not insects. However, both shrimps and insects belong to the phylum Arthropoda, which makes the comparison loosely humorous but not scientifically accurate.
