We can’t stop (won’t stop) looking at pictures of birds with arms
You know that if something is deemed the “most bizarre” place on Reddit, it’s gotta be pretty weird. That’s the case with /r/birdswitharms, which topped Mashable’s list of “Bizarre Subreddits You Shouldn’t Live Without” as well as BBC’s “Five of the web’s oddest communities.” The gist of the meme is exactly what it sounds like: users experienced, and not-so-experienced, in Photoshop are taking pictures of birds and replacing their wings with arms. And it’s unexpectedly hilarious.
A quick Reddit search reveals a seemingly never ending list of these hybrid creatures. Some of the posts are showcasing a user’s work, showcasing a theme of images or creating an open call for users to Photoshop a particularly tempting picture. Any one of these threads is sure to deliver a wealth of ridiculously entertaining images, like this one:
Or maybe this one strikes your fancy:
It’s impossible to look at this one and not laugh:
You can check out a whole slideshow of the images down below:
This trend first hit our Interwebz in 2008 over on Reeelapse. From there, it moved to Tumblr, and by 2009, there were entire blogs devoted to these reblog-worthy pics. In 2011, /r/birdswitharms was created, and has since overtaken all other previous birdswitharms platforms. And for good reason. Reddit’s already large and creative community was able to make the trend take off in a big way, so much so that, four years later, we’re still giggling.
Last year, the meme was even used in a commercial by computer hardware company ASUS. In it, we don’t just see birds with arms, but talking birds with arms. A tufted titmouse, penguins and a chicken, to be exact. (See for yourself here.)
The best part about this whole birds with arms thing? You can totally make your own. As long as you have Photoshop and a dream, you might be the one to make the next viral image. That is, if you can make something even more hilarious than this:
Good luck!
(Images via Imgur)
Related:
