This image is a playful “before and after” meme that uses exaggeration and humor to grab attention. At first glance, the top half of the photo, labeled “Before,” shows a young woman with braces sticking out her tongue, which has been digitally manipulated or edited to look unusually long, almost cartoonish. The tongue appears so extended that it seems unrealistic, creating a shocking and funny visual effect. The purpose of this part of the image is to immediately surprise the viewer and make them wonder if what they are seeing could possibly be real. Of course, it is not, but the exaggerated presentation is what makes it amusing.
The lower part of the picture, labeled “After,” shifts the tone by presenting the same woman in a completely normal pose, viewed from the side, looking natural and composed. Her tongue is not extended at all, and she appears like an ordinary young woman. This creates a humorous contrast because it undermines the “Before” image. Many “before and after” photos on the internet are intended to show progress, transformation, or improvement, such as weight loss, beauty treatments, or lifestyle changes. However, this meme flips that expectation upside down. Instead of showing a serious transformation, it delivers a joke. The humor lies in the fact that the “problem” in the “before” photo—the absurdly long tongue—was never real to begin with, making the “after” shot look normal and even anticlimactic.
The meme is also a commentary on how heavily edited and staged many online “before and after” images can be. People are used to seeing dramatic transformations on social media, where filters, Photoshop, and creative editing are often used to create unrealistic results. This image pokes fun at that culture by presenting something so clearly fake and exaggerated that no one could take it seriously. In doing so, it makes the audience laugh and reflect on the way digital media can distort reality.
In the end, the humor of this meme comes from its exaggeration, contrast, and playful use of internet culture tropes. It takes the familiar format of transformation photos, adds a ridiculous twist, and leaves the viewer with a sense of amusement at how something so simple can be turned into comedy. It reminds us not to take every “before and after” picture at face value and to appreciate the creativity and humor behind lighthearted internet jokes.
