AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The 'SpongeGar Realizes' meme features a scene from the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants starring SpongeBob's prehistoric ancestor, SpongeGar. In the image, SpongeGar is depicted with a startled expression as he realizes he can use a stick as a tool to retrieve coral from a fire. This meme is often used to highlight moments of sudden realization or to depict choices between two options.

OriginWho did it first?

The meme originated from an episode titled 'Ugh' (also known as 'SpongeBob B.C.'), which is the 54th episode of Season 3 of SpongeBob SquarePants, first aired on November 5th, 2002. The specific scene involves SpongeGar discovering how to use a stick to remove hot corals from fire, accompanied by atonal singing similar to a barbershop quartet, and humorously nods to the 'Dawn of Man' sequence from the film *2001: A Space Odyssey*. This scene is available for viewing on YouTube. The meme initially gained traction as a reaction image, with notable uses in 2016 and 2019. On January 31st, 2021, the earliest found video edit based on this scene was uploaded on iFunny by user Xinity. The scene significantly rose in popularity on October 29th, 2021, when a post on X (previously Twitter) by user @PoptartMan17 shared the full scene and received millions of views and widespread engagement.^[1]

Origin: 2021