Part of what makes gifs so glorious is their total lack of context. It makes them funnier, more versatile to use as a part of conversation when you can apply your own context.
But if you’ve ever really wanted to know the true story behind your favorite GIFs, look no further than Reddit‘s r/behindthegifs.
Take, for instance, this trashcan with a rather unpopular opinion:
Or this one, about an ambitious turtle.
A lot of the submissions are dominated by one user, KatSwenski, who took a multi-GIF approach to solving the dumpster fire that is 2016.
Swenski also made this one, about a robot scorned.
All of Swenski’s comics are viewable on her website, where she also takes commissions.
But the inspiration for the subreddit started with a simple premise.
https://imgur.com/gallery/zVnbZ
And now it’s become a way to explain the unexplainable.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Swenski about her impressive GIF backstories and is awaiting a response.