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. Bored Panda 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 Gaslighter Starter Pack
Image credits: WolfsToothDogFood
#2 Weird Kid In 3023 Starter Pack
Image credits: funnyboneman777
#3 That One High School Athlete Starter Pack
Image credits: agizzy23
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 Rich Kid In The 90s Starter Pack
Image credits: whitemike40
#5 Teen Who Got Dragged To Lunch With The Family Starter Pack
Image credits: MemeMePhotoshop
#6 Born In 2002 Starter Pack
Image credits: Agreeable-Race8818
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 Snacks Growing Up In An “Ingredient Household” Starter Pack
Image credits: EmuPsychologist
#8 When You Wake Up To A Noise In The Middle Of The Night Starter Pack
Image credits: Future_Bison_7533
#9 “AI Art Is The Future” Starter Pack
Image credits: StarkillerSneed
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 “Metal Is The Future” Starter Pack
Image credits: Potential-Ad-1424
#11 Older Gen-Z Stay At Home Mom Starter Pack
Image credits: [deleted]
#12 Youth Pastor Starter Pack
Image credits: Public_Basil_4416
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
Image credits: Sunny64888
#14 Dad Pays For Dinner Starter Pack
Image credits: equation4
#15 “I’ve Started Eating Salads” Starter Pack
Image credits: TapiocaTuesday
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 The World’s Most Dangerous Animal Starter Pack
Image credits: hk96hu
#17 Absolute Legend Starter Pack
Image credits: Iaminhospital
#18 The “Horror Games Aren’t Scary” Starter Pack
Image credits: PoloGator
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 activist Danai Gurira, who is spearheading the Unstereotype Alliance’s ‘Say Nothing, Change Nothing’ campaign.
#19 R/Drawing Starter Pack
Image credits: Intrepid-Teaching127
#20 Female English Teacher In Her Late 20’s Starter Pack
Image credits: Tasty-Character-9031
#21 Lesbian Chef On Food Network Starter Pack
Image credits: Ok_Photograph_1653
#22 Comedian Who Hasn’t Been Funny For 20 Years Starter Pack
Image credits: AstonVanilla
#23 Gen Z Gymrat Starter Pack
Image credits: funnyboneman777
#24 R/Twosentencehorror Starter Pack
Image credits: Pretend-Job-1177
#25 The “How Open Mic Nights Actually Are” Starter Pack
Image credits: TheGreatCornhol10
#26 People Who Disagree With Me Starter Pack
Image credits: I_Am_Not_Pope
#27 “Why Are You So Quiet Now? You Used To Be So Talkative” Starter Pack
Image credits: PR0CR45T184T0R
#28 Being An Artistic Kid On Christmas Starter Pack
Image credits: petetheheat475
#29 2008-2012 Pop Hit Starter Pack
Image credits: Public_Basil_4416
#30 White “Upper-Middle-Class Stay-At-Home Wife” Starter Pack
Image credits: [deleted]
#31 “Do You Have Time For A Quick Chat?” Starter Pack
Image credits: TapiocaTuesday
#32 “Wanna Hear My British Accent?” Starter Pack
Image credits: exiled-redditor
#33 “Msg Gives Me A Headache” Starter Pack
Image credits: admiralturtleship
#34 How To Get Laid According To Reddit Starter Pack
Image credits: Lucky_addition
#35 “Japan Is Living In The Future!” Starter Pack
Image credits: TurtleWitch_
#36 Meme Culture In Movies Starter Pack
Image credits: Public_Basil_4416
#37 People Offended By Black Woman Dating White Man Starter Pack
Image credits: i_unfriend_u
#38 German Autobahn Starter Pack
Image credits: Tsjaad_Donderlul
#39 The Self-Proclaimed Norwegian American Starter Pack
Image credits: Tall_Station_3853
#40 English Person Who Thinks They’re American Starter Pack
Image credits: AstonVanilla
#41 Large Us City Starter Pack
Image credits: mc395686
#42 R/Hardimages Starter Pack
Image credits: StarkillerSneed
#43 Anti-Intellectualism On Social Media Starter Pack
Image credits: petetheheat475
#44 First Ten Minutes Of The Zombie Movie Starter Pack
Image credits: lnvaderRed
#45 The “I Was Definitely Born In The Right Generation” Starter Pack
Image credits: AlexanderKeithz
#46 “Patrick Warburton Character” Starter Pack
Image credits: Dylon_Taubert
#47 The Bada*s Priest Character Starter Pack
Image credits: Thin_Ad3160
#48 Job Hunting As A Disabled Person Starter Pack
Image credits: ConfectionEuphorix
#49 Older Tradwife Starter Pack
Image credits: BigClitMcphee
#50 Kid Who Brags About Watching Kurzgesagt Starter Pack
Image credits: [deleted]
#51 “I Don’t Fit In Anywhere” Starter Pack
Image credits: ANUMOIA
#52 Travel Influencer/Vlogger Starter Pack
Image credits: Goldeneye07
#53 “Pay No Attention To Me” Starter Pack
Image credits: TimeConsideration336
#54 Fat Characters In Fiction Starter Pack
Image credits: davifpb2
#55 Attending A College Graduation Starter Pack
Image credits: PR0CR45T184T0R
#56 Redditors’ Reaction To Exercise Starter Pack
Image credits: notabotmkay
#57 Young Hippie Girl Starter Pack
Image credits: y2kfashionistaa
#58 Italian-American Starter Pack
Image credits: petetheheat475
#59 Your Midsize City Subreddit Starter Pack
Image credits: dbumba
#60 Black, Female Superhero Starter Pack
Image credits: SteveOMatt
#61 Food’s People Simply Won’t Let You Enjoy How You Want To Starter Pack
Image credits: TheGhost-of-Bob-Ross
#62 Bored Westerner Who Desperately Wants Something To Happen Starter Pack
Image credits: KomenHime
#63 Working Full-Time In The Us Starter Pack
Image credits: BigClitMcphee
#64 “Am I Even In The Friend Group”? Starter Pack
Image credits: DeezNuts7502
#65 Girl “Finding Herself” In Thailand Starter Pack
Image credits: Jrkster6969
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