For some, the New Year is a time to reinvent themselves. Flip the script, pivot and become a completely new version of the old you. Whether you’re choosing to be a stay-at-home mom, live a healthier lifestyle, or level up as a “finance bro”, someone out there has possibly already formed a stereotypical view of what your life might look like in pictures.
And there’s very likely a “starter pack” doing the rounds, to shame you, on the world wide web. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a starter pack, or starter kit, is a type of meme made up of a group of photos that describe an experience or thing. In a very stereotypical way.
Online community r/starterpacks is a hugely popular corner of the internet that considers itself the “home of starterpacks”. More than 6.3 million people gather here to share starter pack memes for everything under the sun. We has made a list of some of the most hilariously painful ones from the page. Let us know if you recognize yourself in any, and don’t forget to upvote your favorites.
#1 Teen Who Got Dragged To Lunch With The Family Starter Pack
RELATED: #2 Rich Kid In The 90s Starter Pack
#3 The World’s Most Dangerous Animal Starter Pack
It was a random day in September, just over a decade ago, and everything seemed quite normal (as can be) on that old bluebird app. Then suddenly, someone tweeted three photos: a top knot bun hairstyle, oversized golden hoop rings and a Madonna-style lip piercing. Accompanying the photoset was a short, one-liner caption reading “The ‘I date black guys’ starter pack.”
The floodgates had been opened, Twitter went wild, and soon, people were posting their own versions of stereotypical “starter packs”. Around 12 November 2014, “starter pack” and “starter kit” each received more than 5.4 million and 640,000 mentions – in one week alone.
Years later, the trend is still alive. From dads to moms to dogs, and everything in between, there are starter packs out there to describe them all.
#4 Youth Pastor Starter Pack
#5 Female English Teacher In Her Late 20’s Starter Pack
#6 Gaslighter Starter Pack
According to Know Your Meme, starter packs, also known as starter kits, are a series of multi-panel photo sets “meant to illustrate the archetype of a celebrity, company or subculture through a recommended selection of fashion articles, multimedia and other consumer products.”
The site likens them to “steal her look fashion guides”. And as Vice once reported, “It seems likely that with time and effort, one could find a starter pack for every person in the world.”
#7 Travel Influencer/Vlogger Starter Pack
#8 Being An Artistic Kid On Christmas Starter Pack
#9 “I’ve Started Eating Salads” Starter Pack
While the “I date black guys” starter pack was hugely popular, and spawned thousands of spin-offs, it wasn’t the first time the term “starter pack” was used. That prize apparently goes to a LOLcat image aimed at the age-old stereotypical Crazy Cat Lady.
As per Know Your Meme, the image featured “a box full of kittens” with a caption reading ‘THANK YOU FOR ORDERING THE CRAZY CAT LADY STARTER KIT’.
#10 How To Get Laid According To Reddit Starter Pack
#11 White “Upper-Middle-Class Stay-At-Home Wife” Starter Pack
#12 “Why Are You So Quiet Now? You Used To Be So Talkative” Starter Pack
Since starter kits are based on stereotypes, it goes without saying that some can be a little less than nice. That’s why the online community r/StarterPacks has strict rules about what can and can’t be posted by the 6.3 million members.
“No racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or any general discrimination towards anyone of any race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexuality. You can mention them and discuss anyone you want, but do not turn it into a political argument or be a bigot,” reads the page.
The admins also ask everyone to be civil towards each other, and warns against posting about politics: “Incidental political items in a starter pack are okay, but this sub is not an arena for political agenda posts or political arguments.”
#13 Playing The Opposite Gender In A Youtube Comedy Sketch – Starter Pack
#14 German Autobahn Starter Pack
#15 That One High School Athlete Starter Pack
The Britannica Dictionary defines stereotyping as “an often unfair and untrue belief that many people have about all people or things with a particular characteristic.” Sometimes, stereotyping can be subtle, other times it’s unashamedly in your face.
The Unstereotype Alliance is an industry-led coalition convened by UN Women. It recently found that three in four people globally regularly see or hear stereotyping. But only one in three will frequently say something to object to it. Half of those polled said they believe people keep quiet when they see someone using a negative stereotype “because they do not want to escalate the situation.”
#16 Food’s People Simply Won’t Let You Enjoy How You Want To Starter Pack
#17 “AI Art Is The Future” Starter Pack
#18 Comedian Who Hasn’t Been Funny For 20 Years Starter Pack
According to the Unstereotype Alliance, the most common stereotypes people experience relate to gender (57%), race and ethnicity (52%), sexual orientation (45%) and disability (45%). And close to two thirds of people surveyed said it’s become a bigger problem in recent years.
“Shattering stereotypes requires defiance. It isn’t always easy for people to speak out but, without change, damaging perspectives remain unchecked. We must all have the courage to stand up for what is right, and say something,” said actress and activistDanai Gurira, who is spearheading the Unstereotype Alliance’s ‘Say Nothing, Change Nothing’campaign.
#19 Black, Female Superhero Starter Pack
#20 Young Hippie Girl Starter Pack
#21 “Do You Have Time For A Quick Chat?” Starter Pack
#22 Weird Kid In 3023 Starter Pack
#23 First Ten Minutes Of The Zombie Movie Starter Pack
#24 Dad Pays For Dinner Starter Pack
#25 Job Hunting As A Disabled Person Starter Pack
#26 Lesbian Chef On Food Network Starter Pack
#27 “Metal Is The Future” Starter Pack
#28 Older Tradwife Starter Pack
#29 Gen Z Gymrat Starter Pack
#30 2008-2012 Pop Hit Starter Pack
#31 Attending A College Graduation Starter Pack
#32 Meme Culture In Movies Starter Pack
#33 R/Twosentencehorror Starter Pack
#34 The Bada*s Priest Character Starter Pack
#35 “Msg Gives Me A Headache” Starter Pack
#36 The “How Open Mic Nights Actually Are” Starter Pack
#37 People Who Disagree With Me Starter Pack
#38 People Offended By Black Woman Dating White Man Starter Pack
#39 The Self-Proclaimed Norwegian American Starter Pack
#40 Anti-Intellectualism On Social Media Starter Pack
#41 R/Drawing Starter Pack
#42 Older Gen-Z Stay At Home Mom Starter Pack
#43 Large Us City Starter Pack
#44 Fat Characters In Fiction Starter Pack
#45 Snacks Growing Up In An “Ingredient Household” Starter Pack
#46 Absolute Legend Starter Pack
#47 Girl “Finding Herself” In Thailand Starter Pack
#48 Redditors’ Reaction To Exercise Starter Pack
#49 “Japan Is Living In The Future!” Starter Pack
#50 When You Wake Up To A Noise In The Middle Of The Night Starter Pack
#51 Italian-American Starter Pack
#52 Your Midsize City Subreddit Starter Pack
#53 “Patrick Warburton Character” Starter Pack
#54 “Wanna Hear My British Accent?” Starter Pack
#55 Born In 2002 Starter Pack
#56 Working Full-Time In The Us Starter Pack
#57 The “Horror Games Aren’t Scary” Starter Pack
#58 “Am I Even In The Friend Group”? Starter Pack
#59 “Pay No Attention To Me” Starter Pack
#60 English Person Who Thinks They’re American Starter Pack
#61 The “I Was Definitely Born In The Right Generation” Starter Pack
#62 Kid Who Brags About Watching Kurzgesagt Starter Pack
#63 “I Don’t Fit In Anywhere” Starter Pack
#64 R/Hardimages Starter Pack
#65 Bored Westerner Who Desperately Wants Something To Happen Starter Pack
