Introduction

The meme 'Getting Mugged? Just Say No' humorously suggests that individuals can simply refuse to comply with a mugger, implying a lack of legal authority over their possessions.

Background

Originally shared in December 2018, this meme became a popular format for creating variations that modify the phrase 'Getting X? Just Say No.' Users creatively altered the original image and caption to fit various humorous contexts.

How It Began

On December 2nd, 2018, Reddit user PM_ME_TIGER_BUTTS posted a meme featuring a stock image of a man being robbed, captioned, 'Getting mugged? Just say no. Your robber legally cannot take any of your possessions without your consent.' This post quickly gained popularity, amassing over 21,400 upvotes within six months on the /r/ShittyLifeProTips subreddit.

Meme Evolution

Following its initial posting, the meme spread rapidly across various platforms, including Facebook, Reddit, Imgur, and Instagram. Notably, on December 3rd, 2018, the Facebook page Being Libertarian reposted the image, which garnered over 8,700 reactions and 15,000 shares over three years. The first edited version emerged on December 5th, 2018, featuring a Rate Drops to 0 meme, while multiple recaptioned versions, including one citing the Pakistani penal code, followed soon after. By September 2019, the meme's format had evolved into a template for other phrases, such as 'Getting banned? Just say no,' and it continued to gain traction in 2021 and 2022.