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Part of a series on Spreading Misinformation. [View Related Entries]


About

"Source? I Made It Up" is a catchphrase used in reaction images in which a person reveals that the statement they have just made is completely fictional and only serves to spread misinformation. The phrase is often combined with images of Gigachad and Dr. Manhattan, with other prevalent versions being "It Was Revealed to Me in a Dream" and "Dude Trust Me."

Origin

I Made It Up

On August 11th, 2012, Redditor[1] 350125 posted an image macro about atheism with a fabricated quote falsely ascribed to Bryan Cranston to /r/atheism subreddit. In the thread, Redditor globachill inquired about the source of the quote, with 350125 replying,[2] "None, I made it up myself" (image and exchange shown below, left and right).

My mother always dragged me to church when I was little; the hats, the suits, the hot rooms- I remember all that b-------. Looking back on it all, I never took it seriously: just with a grain of salt. It was folklore to me. Myth. Luckily my mother let me make my own decisions so I could grow up along my own personal path. That's why I believe every child is special- their slate is just as blank as those driven into dogmatic hatred. Let kids think for themselves, and realize that it's not the religious individuals that are poison; it's the group logic that reeks of toxicity. -Bryan Cranston
globalchill · 10 yr. ago Source? 2 Give Award Share Report Save 350125 OP · 10 yr. ago 2 40 44 & 82 More None, I made it up myself. -1 5 Give Award Share Report Save

Dude Trust Me

On March 19th, 2015, Tumblr[3] user a6 posted a screenshot of a Yahoo Answers response in which the replying person wrote "Dude trust me" as their source. The post received over 823,900 likes and reblogs in seven years (shown below).

Source(s): Dude trust me
Source(s): Dude trust me thanks yahoo answers 7 YEARS AGO 823,954 NOTES

It Was Revealed to Me in a Dream

On February 14th, 2017, Twitter[4][5] user @JonathanMurden tweeted a screenshot of a footnote from the 1949 book The Divine and the Human by Nikolai Berdyaev, which read, "1. This was once revealed to me in a dream." (tweet no longer available; shown below).

1 This was once revealed to me in a dream. 2 See R. Otto, Das Heilige. He has some i 1:-. 1.
Jonathan Murden Follow @JonathanMurden Best. Footnote. Ever. trine of aIVIIIC FIOVIUCIce, wIlICII nas I 1 This was once revealed to me in a dream. 2 See R. Otto, Das Heilige. He has some i 1: 1:.

Spread

"Dude trust me" and "It was revealed to me in a dream" were the first to receive viral spread online. Prior to March 3rd, 2017, Tumblr[5] user serpentandstang posted a screenshot of @JonathanMurden's tweet, writing, "when in doubt, the citation of choice. The post gained over 41,000 likes and reblogs in five years. On January 22nd, 2018, Tumblr[6] users halloween-trash posted the "It was revealed to me in a dream" reaction in response to a6's post, reblogged by Tumblr user kaineus (shown below, left). On November 20th, 2019, Tumblr[7] user used the "dude trust me" reaction image to respond to a post by user johnnyjoestarrelatable, with the exchange gaining over 105,800 likes and reblogs in three years (shown below, right).

Source(s): Dude trust me eighthdoctor: kaineus: salparadisewasright: 1 It is known. 2 It is known. 3 It is known. 4 It is known. trine of diVIIIc FIoVIUCice, wiICII Inas lii 1 This was once revealed to me in a dream. 2 See R. Otto, Das Heilige. He has some i 1: 1. 1:
johnnyjoestarrelatable do you ever just know the answer to a trivia question and have no idea where the knowledge came from redplanetofmars Source(s): Dude trust me

Prior to March 10th, 2021, an unknown user posted an Average Fan vs. Average Enjoyer meme based on the 2012 Reddit exchange between uses globachill and 350125 (shown below, left). On March 10th, iFunny[8] user azerbaijanlawnglome made the earliest found repost of the image.

In mid-March 2021, the meme went viral through reposts. For example, on March 11th, Instagram[9] user kultuuri_marx reposted the meme, with the post gaining over 1,200 likes in one year. On March 16th, Redditor[10] Rubensantos1 reposted it to the /r/196 subreddit, where it received over 7,800 upvotes in six months.

Later on March 16th, Redditor[11] woodstocc posted a Political Compass meme based on the image, with the post garnering over 4,600 upvotes in /r/politicalcompassmemes in roughly one year (shown below, center). On March 21st, Redditor[12] chaspich posted another Political Compass meme that gained over 11,900 upvotes in the subreddit in a similar timeframe (shown below, right).

350125 8y globalchill 8y None, I made it up Source?
oy globalchill 8y None, I made it up Source? Authoritarian Left Authoritarian Right Economic- Econom Left Right Libertarian Left Libertarian Right
None, I made it up Source?

On April 20th, 2021, iFunny[13] user LesterGreen reposted chaspich's meme, with the post gaining over 20,900 smiles on the app in one year. On April 22nd, iFunny[14] user GreenBeanFrmAnotherPlanet posted an object-labeling meme based on a panel of Dr. Manhattan from the Watchmen comic books, with the image gaining over 29,900 smiles in one year (shown below).

"I made it up "Source?"

Through 2021 and 2022, more reaction images utilizing the phrases I Made It Up and It Was Revealed to Me in a Dream were created, often featuring Dr. Manhattan and Gigachad, with the phrases also gaining virality on social media as a based or Sigma Male reply.

On January 17th, 2022, YouTuber[15] Max0r uploaded a video titled, "An Incorrect Summary of Metal Gear Rising | Part 2 | Sons of Obesity" in which the joke was used in an exchange between the Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance characters Raiden and Senator Armstrong. On January 29th, 2022, YouTuber[16] tofy guye uploaded a clip from the video, which was used as a reaction video on social media in the following months.

- Nice argument, Senator. Why don't you back it up with a source?
- My source is that I made it the f--k up.

Refuses to Elaborate Further

Refuses to Elaborate Further is a copypasta that describes a person barging into a discussion, making a statement and leaving without elaborating further. Usually paired with an image of GigaChad 2, the copypasta gained popularity in memes in March 2021.

Daily Roman Updates @UpdatingOnRome >Barges into any discussion or argument > Carthago delenda est >Refuses to elaborate further >leaves
>Barges into 3rd world nation > Proceeds to declare war >Refuses to elaborate further > Refuses to leave
>Barges into any discussion or argument >1984 >Refuses to elaborate further >Leaves

Spreading Misinformation

Spreading Misinformation refers to an activity of spreading lies and falsehoods, primarily on social media, which can pursue purposes ranging from simply drawing fun from misinforming and trolling people to achieving some malicious goals. Starting in 2021, memes describing the practice of spreading misinformation as joyful mischief gained popularity online and have often been used as a reply to own posts containing misinformation.

When I purposefully spread misinformation over the internet
misinformation N---- @humanity.gone36 on my Missing Context. Independent fact-checkers say information in thi post could mislead people. s--- propagate unverifiable FACTS MY N----
ME WHEN I SPREAD CHEEMSITZ SPREAD MISINFORMATION ONLINE

Various Examples

"None, I made it up" "Source?"
Russian media curently: The rest of theiworld Nice arugment senator but whats your source My source is that I made it the f--- up
globalchill · 8y 3 Awards Source? 350125 OP • 8y 145 Awards None, I made it up myself. 4 -1
It was revealed to me in a dream Source?

Zack Strength @ZackStrength · 22m : Lifting weights makes you a better person. 12 Zack Strength @ZackStrength · 22m "None, I made it up" "Source?"
W-- u mean proof? I made it up ro spread misinformation f--- outta here amcpls 1h 7

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