Memes

‘I’m Tired Of This Grandpa’ meme origins

That’s too damn bad! Keep diggin!!!

Photo of Angela Andaloro

Angela Andaloro

i'm tired of this grandpa meme

I’m Tired Of This Grandpa, also known as the Too Damn Bad meme, is a catchphrase spoken by a character in the 2003 film, Holes. The humorous delivery and adaptable phrase made it a meme hit.

Featured Video
louise walker holes i'm tired of this grandpa
@DjTFExpress/YouTube

Meme basics

  • Meme creator: @DjTFExpress/YouTube
  • Meme type: Exploitable
  • First appearance: YouTube
  • Origin source: 2003 film Holes
  • Peak popularity: October 2024i'm tired of this grandpa google trend
Advertisement

Origin and spread

Holes, based on the novel by Louis Sachar, is a popular movie first released in 2003. It wasn’t until 12 years later that one of the film’s laugh-out-loud moments became an internet meme.

YouTuber @DjTFExpress uploaded the flashback scene where the main antagonist Warden Louise Walker (played by Sigourney Weaver) digs as a little girl. She turns to her grandfather, Trout Walker, and says, “I’m tired of this grandpa.” In response, he snaps, “That’s too damn bad! Keep diggin’!” The four-second clip has amassed over one million views in the 12 years since it was first posted.

“I’m tired of this grandpa” became a modern meme in 2002 when Redditor u/DeekiNeedles shared an Escape From Tarkov meme using a two-panel split of the Holes scene.

Advertisement
i'm tired of this grandpa Escape From Tarkov meme
u/DeekiNeedles/Reddit

Not only did the meme take off in this format, but the sound from the scene also became popular on TikTok. There, people used it as they joked about doing “old people things,” or when you have to take part in something you don’t want to do.

Popularity and recent use

The meme resurged in popularity in July 2024, when Holes was added to Hulu’s streaming offerings. They even celebrated by sharing the scene on their social media accounts, writing, “Your daily reminder to KEEP DIGGIN!’”

Advertisement
i'm tired of this grandpa hulu
Hulu
i'm tired of this grandpa gif
Hulu

On Sunday, Oct. 6, Holes fans who also love the NFL were surprised to hear Caleb Williams and a teammate referencing the line while mic’d up for Inside the NFL.

caleb williams i'm tired of this grandpa
Hulu
Advertisement

Meme examples

'I need a billionaire to just give me ~$4M so I can retire. I'm getting tired of this, grandpa' tweet
@kyleshevlin/X
too damn bad haptic feedback
@kyleshevlin/X
weatherman heat 'i'm tired of this grandpa' tweet
@kyleshevlin/X
Advertisement
'i'm tired of no wind valheim'
u/DankOptions/Reddit
hades 2 i'm tired of this grandpa meme
u/DankOptions/Reddit
dog tiktok with caption 'i'm simultaneously tired of this grandpa and aware that that's too damn bad'
u/DankOptions/Reddit
women in the army i'm tired of this grandpa meme
u/DankOptions/Reddit
Advertisement
poverty wages i'm tired of this grandpa meme
@9GAGGER/9GAG

More movie memes:

The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.

Advertisement
 
The Daily Dot