About
“What People Think I Do / What I Really Do” is a series of visual charts depicting a range of preconceptions associated with a particular field of occupation or expertise. Unlike image macro series that are based on singular stereotypes like Advice Animals, this series compares varying impressions about one’s profession held by others, self-image and the often mundane reality of the job.
Origin
The original instance of the series was uploaded by artist Garnet Hertz via his Facebook page[9] on February 2nd, 2012. The chart summarized various preconceived notions and generalizations that are associated with being a contemporary artist.
Precursor
The multi-perspective approach in visual jokes has been previously adapted by other survey template memes like “How People View Me After I Say I’m X” and “What I Watched vs. What I Expected vs. What I Got”.
Spread
A similar image “what people think directors do” was posted by Canvas user ItchyBarracuda[1] on February 10th, 2012. The thread spawned several derivative versions including freelance programmer, tech support and videogame beta tester.
The “Director” instance was picked up by a number of personal blogs[3][4][5] and professional websites on the following days, spawning additional derivatives along the way. On February 13th, PC Magazine[6] reported on the series as a trending meme on Facebook. The same day, photography website Fstoppers[2] presented the photographer’s edition in an article titled “Photographer MEME: What People Really Think I Do.”
Notable Examples
Template
Search Interest
External References
[1] Canvas – Posted in #Pop_culture
[2] Fstoppers – [Funny] Photographer MEME: What People Really Think I Do
[4] LiveJournal режиссеры такие режиссеры
[5] Wordpress – What People Think Writers Do
[6] PC Mag – Memeology: The Best of the ‘What I Really Do’ Jokes on Facebook
[7] AbsolutePunk – What People Think I Do
[8]FFFFOUND – director.jpg
[9] Facebook – Garnet Hertz’s Photos
[10] Gawker – Where Did That ‘What People Think I Do’ Meme Come From and How Can It Be Stopped?
[11] Mashable – What I Really Do: The Best Examples of the Job-Themed Meme