AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The PTSD Chihuahua meme, also known as Chihuahua Vietnam War Flashbacks, features a deeply focused chihuahua with a solemn expression. This central image of the dog is overlaid with scenes from the Vietnam War, creating a double exposure effect. The meme is commonly used online to portray distressing or traumatic recollections tied to past experiences, with the dog representing those trying to grapple with such memories. The meme template is versatile and often modified to include additional imagery or contexts relevant to specific scenarios referenced in the caption. It is a part of a broader genre of War Flashback Parodies that use similar thematic elements.

OriginWho did it first?

The PTSD Chihuahua meme template mixes two photographs: one of a visibly frightened chihuahua and another depicting a scene from the Vietnam War. The original use of the chihuahua image remains unidentified, but it is watermarked with "@doggonews," suggesting a now-defunct account that might have been the creator. This meme first appeared when a user known as Matt70655 posted it to the subreddit r/funny on February 20th, 2017. The post, captioned 'Don't use a vacuum near puppers,' quickly gained popularity, amassing over 3,600 upvotes and sparking further usage and adaptation of the image in various contexts.^[1]