21 Best Eminem Throwing Memes: The "Woe, Plague Be Upon Ye" Shitposting Guide

Eminem Throwing Meme: The Origins of "Woe, Plague Be Upon Ye"

The Eminem Throwing meme, commonly captioned "Woe, Plague Be Upon Ye," features a dynamic photo of rapper Eminem appearing to hurl an object at the camera. While the original image captures a standard pose from a professional photoshoot, its transformation into a viral "image macro" has made it a versatile tool for internet shitposting and fan art.

Timeline and Digital Origin

Source Material: The original photograph dates back to a late-2000s press kit. Unlike the meme suggests, Eminem was not throwing anything; he was gesturing toward the lens.
The "Fat Rat" Explosion: According to Know Your Meme, the specific edit involving a "fat rat" surfaced in October 2020.
Viral Spread: Data from Reddit's r/Eminem and Tumblr show the meme peaked in early 2021. The mock-archaic caption, "Woe, Plague Be Upon Ye," added a layer of absurdist humor that propelled it beyond the hip-hop community.

Template Use Cases & Variations

Object Substitution (The "Aggressive Gift"): Users replace the rat with items like bricks, pizzas, or currency. This variation is typically used in comments to "gift" something to the previous poster in a confrontational or chaotic manner.
The "Redraw" Phenomenon: On platforms like Twitter and Pixiv, artists use the pose as a base for fictional characters.
The "POV Hijack": This template is frequently used in POV (Point of View) memes. Because of the forced perspective, it is edited into first-person video clips or layered onto other memes to simulate the viewer being physically struck by an object, creating a "hit" effect for the audience.