21 People Post The Best ‘Modern Problems Require Modern Solutions’ Jokes They’ve Stumbled Upon
“Modern problems require modern solutions.” Those are the words of American stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle. Though he said the phrase in a skit during an episode of Chappelle’s Show, jokingly advocating for the use of fake Canadian ID cards for free healthcare, people are using this format to post about real-life problems that need creative solutions. Some of these jokes are hilariously on-point while others tell us all about the sad state of society.
There are a lot of problems in the 21st century. From life on the streets being worse than life in prison to the invasion of privacy via facial recognition technology, and much, much more. Bored Panda has collected some of the saddest and funniest 'modern problem' posts that make you think, so scroll down, have a look, and let us know what modern problems you personally think are the biggest, dear Pandas. Remember to upvote the stories that left the biggest impact on you and read on for Bored Panda's interview with redditor Imthatguy25 who is very proud that they created the joke format in the first place.
This post may include affiliate links.
Smart? Nope, I think it's rather Honda or something like that...
Load More Replies...
While paintballs hurt like hell when you get hit by them, using them in this fashion is a lot better than firing a gun aimlessly.
I don't know whether that is insanely smart or dumb, cuz they just shoot at it and let the others try to chase it.
that's awesome. we need to do that here in USA...plus if you hit them enough, they won't be able to see driving..
In all fairness, I've never been witness to any crime or law enforcement act. My mother once watched cops chase a thief out of a grocery store, but there was no fleeing car involved. So this might not be all that surprising.
Load More Replies...
they should invent something that can uniquely identify each vehicle, like a combination of numbers and letters. And there should be a useless government organisation in charge of it, like the Department of Motor something.
I've had enough of my neighbor so im gonna paintball his motor as he drives away
Spray their faces with indelible ink, like in a riot, then collect them later.
My ex, his best friend & I came up with a similar solution called, "Stupid Patrol". If you were seen driving "stupidly" we would shoot you with suction darts that had a similar paint on them. They would be about 3 inches round and have the saying "You Have Been Tagged By Stupid Patrol Because You Are Unfit to Drive". It never really got off the ground.
I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to do this to cars that cut you off, drivers on their phones, and generally unsafe driving.
I've been wishing for this for years. Also wish I could shoot paintballs at cars that don't pull over for ambulances...
Hmmm? Who robs a bank and uses their own car as the getaway? I've seen the Japanese have paint balls that people can throw and mark criminals while running away, but I'm not sure about this. Maybe just chase them rather than lobbing paint at them. If you're close enough to be shooting them accurately with a paint gun, I say you're close enough to continue the pursuit.
I wonder if they are your typical paintballs. I mean, those are easily washable. I'd say it more easily traceable at the moment by other patrols than for identifying it later so they don't run after the wrong car.
Beats the hell out of shooting actual bullets at them which, should they happen to kill a bystander in the US they are protected from responsibility.
This... is... GENIUS - I love it. It's everything! You get to still let out aggression (if you are the type to shoot things to let out aggression), AND help catch 'the bad guy'... PLUS you keep your aiming skills up... AND you don't lethally nor near-lethally hurt people (at worst, you pay for some drycleaning and bruise cream...) and you don't have to pay paintball-park fees. Damn. Nice.
Some shops in Japan will also have a larger paintball behind the counter to throw at anyone who shoplifts so the police can find them later.
Redditor Imthatguy25 told us all about what inspired them to create the 'modern problems' meme. "I've watched Chappelle's Show since I was a kid so the 'modern problems’ quote has always been something I'd regularly quote to myself or to some others. I basically treated it like it was a motto,” they said.
“But even then, I honestly didn't expect the format to pick up much traction. Until I saw a bunch of other redditors hit the homepage from using the format and making their own.”
Imthatguy25 has some ideas about why the ‘modern problems’ joke format gained so much popularity so quickly. “Other than the obvious ‘Dave Chappelle is a comedic genius and everything he says is meme gold,’ redditors can be pretty clever when they see a meme that they believe has potential,” they explained.
“The meme alone was a pretty cut and dry, simple to understand. But like I've said, redditors have their own vernacular way with memes. I've seen this dude rage war with Instagram using my format and managed 100k upvotes out of it. I honestly owe it to Reddit and Instagram for making the meme so shareable,” the redditor shared.
According to Imthatguy25, they don’t have any problem with others using the ‘modern problems’ format for social or political commentary, however—they have to be funny.
“I'd at least like to see it with a bit of wit behind it,” they said. “Really, as long as it's funny I could stand behind it.”
Hahaha I've actually had to do that. I was over 1lb on my checked luggage (yep, 1 measly pound) and I had no room in my carry-on. All I had was a small backpack. So I wore 5 shirts and two sweaters. Luckily I didn't look too puffed up haha Once I passed TSA, I asked for a shopping bag at a store and carried my clothes in there since I was allowed one more item as carry-on XD
The ‘modern problems’ meme first popped up in December 2018. Redditor Imthatguy25 posted some dark humor and attached Chappelle’s photo with the catchphrase alongside it. The meme spread.
Since then, other people have been changing the purpose of the meme to suit their needs. While some are going for pure comedy, others are taking things a bit more seriously, using the format for social commentary and to show how dystopian some parts of our society have become.
In both cases, the meme tends to talk about current topics. So when it first showed up, you could see a lot of talks about Thanos, Fortnite, and Article 13. How things have changed since then!
You can watch the original ‘modern problems’ video clip starring Chappelle right here. The skit was shown in the first episode of the second season of Chappelle’s Show which first aired on January 21, 2004.
The critically acclaimed comedy TV series premiered on January 22, 2003, and ran for 28 episodes until July 23, 2006. Chappelle’s Show found success not just in the United States but elsewhere, too, including in Germany, Brazil, Canada, Australia, and the UK.
According to the United Nations Foundation’s post in January, some of the main issues to look out for in 2020 included the acceleration of climate change, the continued presence of inequality and exclusion, as well as the humanitarian crises in Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, and elsewhere.
What we got this year was pretty much on-point with the UN’s prediction. The bushfires that ravaged Australia were linked to climate change. The Covid-19 pandemic and rising unemployment showed the stark differences between the haves and the have-nots. While the humanitarian problems abroad haven’t gone away. So, yes, modern problems do require modern solutions. Permanent ones—not just temporary band-aids.
Just wait for a gust of wind. I was going to tell a wall joke but it blows.
Seems like a nice modern solution if someone wants to save and share the meme. :)
Load More Replies...
It would have been better without Chappelle's picture on EVERY SINGLE ONE. The first couple are fine of course and gets the point across. But every one of them when we already get it? Come on
loved this. most of them were so funny they seemed unreal. more of this please
Seems like a nice modern solution if someone wants to save and share the meme. :)
Load More Replies... It would have been better without Chappelle's picture on EVERY SINGLE ONE. The first couple are fine of course and gets the point across. But every one of them when we already get it? Come on
loved this. most of them were so funny they seemed unreal. more of this please
