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.
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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.
except burning the weeds away is beneficial for the soil too...as long as you don't do it too often.
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In some Asian countries, it is an old practice to burn the stalks and weeds in the farm once the crop is harvested to take care of the waste, weeds and bugs and to turn it into fertilizer. It is better than pesticides but can cause a lot of pollution.
The added nutrients come from the act of burning itself. The ash from a fire is incredibly rich in phosphorus, nitrogen, and even minerals like calcium. Fire takes all of the nutrients from the dead plant material above ground and converts them back to elementary forms. This helps the nee plants grow much better.
In my country people do that in their gardens, but with a wee little 'flamethrower' where you actualy don't see a flame. this is way more impressive. It is MUCH better than using pesticides.
It seems to be less dangerous to the environment than chemicals, but does anyone here on BP know whether it works or not?
It's banned in some countries - kills the good in the soil as well as the bad. In india stubble burning produces a cloud of particulates visible from space and has produced what has been described as a "toxic cloud" in New Delhi, resulting in declarations of an air-pollution emergency.
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Not a modern problem or a modern solution either, farmers have been doing that for ages.
actually this is not a modern solution. in my country for centuries fire is used to make the land more fertile.
You still have to fallow the fields, but the long term effects are reduced fertilizer and pesticide. In grasslands that have been converted to agriculture burning recreates the naturally occurs fires the land is supposed to have.
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I've seen giant trailers being dragged across fields that steam clean the soil. A much safer and eco-friendly method.
Except it uses copious amounts of water and isn't allowed in many places for that reason. There are trade offs and most appropriate solutions for every agricultural situation. Trying to find a one size fits all solution is how big agriculture became so toxic and dangerous.
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It seems as though this would not be good for the soil, which also harbors useful living things. Earthworm flambe?
Watch a video of the process in action, it's basically just toasting the weeds to kill them off, not incinerating them.
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Not convinced by the concept. Seems it's a "proven method" for ages, but my attempts at research feels like I'm browsing flame torch sellers and ads. There is no doubt in the process other than fire safety warnings. Well, I'm sure it is more environment friendly (unless you start a bush fire) than many chemical solutions, I'm just not convinced it is particularly more efficient than some other safe solution.
It depends on the nature of the weeds involved and the type of agriculture in question. This is a common practice in organic agriculture, as no chemicals are involved. Where I am in the midwest it is occasionally used in conventional agriculture to take care of herbicide-resistant weeds.
Load More Replies... over the long-term, burning destroys the soil. It causes increased soil erosion; it kills beneficial soil organisms and eventually causes lower yields.
They aren't incinerating the soil. They are barely even burning the weeds themselves. The nature of the practice is to blast them with heat for an instant, just long enough to kill the above-ground tissue.
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Ok...but what happens when you accidentally set your farm on fire?
Or everywhere in the EU. This isn't new (it's thousands of years old). Glyphosate stopped the practice for a while but as it gets phased out natural controls like fire are the way to go.
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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. :)
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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
