When I use thus while writing an essay
The image showcases a man on what appears to be a red carpet event, standing with a notably serious expression on his face. His attire is formal, featuring a black suit, white shirt, and tie, tailored to fit him sharply, suggesting an occasion of significance or prestige. In the background, there are recognizable symbols of awards, specifically, statuettes that appear similar to the Emmy Awards.
Providing a contrast to his serious demeanor is a humorous and exaggerated digital alteration to the image: his head has been edited to include a comedic and highly disproportionate hairpiece, towering high above his head, styled as an elongated top hat. This extravagantly tall hat stretches out of the frame, presenting an absurd visual that can invoke amusement.
Accompanying the visual gag is a caption that reads, "When I use 'thus' while writing an essay." The jest here lies in the relatable experience of feeling unduly formal or pretentious when employing particularly scholarly or archaic language in writing. The word "thus" typically evokes a more formal tone, which might not be the everyday language for many people.
The humor springs from the juxtaposition of the over-the-top formal headwear, which is visually symbolic of the highbrow or overly formal, with the common act of trying to sound sophisticated in writing. The inflated hat serves as a metaphor for the inflated sense of self-importance or intellectual grandeur one might feel upon using such formal language in an essay.
The reaction of users, as indicated by the massive number of likes and shares, suggests that many find this scenario relatable and humorous. The visual exaggeration underscores the shared sentiment of how a simple word choice—like "thus"—can momentarily elevate the writer's perception of their own language, presenting them humorously as overly sophisticated or out of touch with casual prose.
What might add to the humor for some viewers is recognizing that the formality the character is displaying is dramatically out of place for a red carpet event, which typically calls for more refined and understated elegance. The towering hat edit and the reference to writing essays create a multifaceted joke about formality, pretentiousness, and the occasional clumsiness in striving for written eloquence. When I use thus while writing an essay
