Introduction

Sad Pablo Escobar, also known as Pablo Escobar Waiting, is a three-panel meme featuring the character Pablo Escobar from the Netflix series Narcos. This meme captures feelings of sadness and boredom associated with waiting.

Background

The Sad Pablo Escobar meme showcases the character Pablo Escobar, portrayed by Wagner Moura, staring blankly in three different scenes from Narcos. It effectively conveys the emotions of anticipation and ennui.

How It Began

The meme originated on September 2, 2016, coinciding with the release of Narcos' second season, which dramatizes the life of the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. A month later, on October 8, an anonymous user on Meme Generator published a three-panel template featuring Escobar's forlorn expressions in various settings. This template quickly gained traction, leading to over 950 posts within a year and a half.

Internet Reaction

The meme saw significant engagement on Reddit. On October 11, 2016, a user named Sdreka shared an image with the caption, "When you bought oneplus 3 but the site says 'pending shipment'" in the /r/oneplus subreddit, garnering over 525 points and 95 comments. Later, on August 18, 2017, Navin_R_Johnson79 posted a variation in /r/AdviceAnimals, saying, "When you watched the leaked episode and now have to wait for 10 days instead of 7," which received 675 points. On February 5, 2018, Summy1XD shared it in /r/funny with the caption, "When that co-worker you always eat lunch with is sick…" earning over 40,000 points and 510 comments in just three months.