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Michelle Obama gave the Internet a sign—here’s what it gave back

FLOTUS is now the lead spokeswoman in a campaign against holding up signs on the Internet—she just doesn't know it yet.

 

Monica Riese

Internet Culture

Posted on May 10, 2014   Updated on May 31, 2021, 8:17 am CDT

Once again, the jokesters on Reddit have proven the world is their canvas.

First Lady Michelle Obama took to Twitter earlier this week to contribute her voice to the #bringbackourgirls campaign—an effort to spread awareness about the plight of the 276 missing schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria. She posted a simple tweet featuring a photo of herself holding a sign with the hashtag on it.

Our prayers are with the missing Nigerian girls and their families. It’s time to #BringBackOurGirls. -mo pic.twitter.com/glDKDotJRt

— The First Lady (@FLOTUS) May 7, 2014

But once Reddit got ahold of the photo, its users—well-known for hosting Photoshop battles such as this—went wild adding anything and everything to the blank page:

Via dailymess/Reddit

Via immorta1/Reddit

Via Jetlagofficial/Reddit

Some even got creative and added animation to their contributions:

Via FoolsPower/Reddit

Via sharklops/Reddit

Lesson learned?

Via phongduck/Reddit

Hopefully. But it isn’t the first time a well-intentioned sign-holder has become the butt of the Internet’s jokes. Earlier this year, a mom’s attempt to talk her daughter down from sharing on social media completely backfired when 4chan reappropriated that sign too.

Photo via dailymess/Reddit

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*First Published: May 10, 2014, 5:13 pm CDT