If you've spent any time around military meme pages or gaming forums, you might have seen jokes portraying a jarhead gnawing on a Crayola stick or a tray of crayons captioned like a gourmet meal.

The "Marines Eat Crayons" bit has become an enduring way to call someone dumb, the same way eating glue is linked to being the weird kid in kindergarten.

But the meme didn't come from nowhere, so here's a look at the origins of the Marines eating crayons gag and how it spread online.

Where Did Jokes About Marines Eating Crayons Originate?

The crayon-eating joke has roots in the long-standing military tradition of inter-service roasting. Among service members, Marines are sometimes stereotyped as the most physically tough but mentally lacking. Eating crayons, often associated with toddlers, odd behavior and a dated understanding of autism, became shorthand for calling someone simple-minded as early as the year 2000.

The earliest known crayon-eating Marine meme was posted to Imgur by user HarlemStruggle on August 24th, 2016, and gained over 2,000 upvotes in the following years.

The image is credited to the Facebook page Untied Status Marin Crops (misspellings very much intentional) that churns out Dolan-style memes that gleefully lean into the stereotype.

A 2017 Quora thread asking why Marines were called "crayon-eaters" only helped solidify the trope, with one ex-Marine responding in-character: "i dunt no / krainz r yumie / i liek creola," and others posting semi-earnest screeds trying to explain the lore behind the playful ribbing.

How Did the Marines Eating Crayons Joke Spread Online?

The meme continued to thrive in online military circles, thanks to a steady stream of absurdist content posted by the likes of the Untied Status Marin Crops Facebook page (among other communities).

The page posted classic memes, like one showing a military-style food tray laid out with a handful of crayons, captioned, "about to eat at this Marine DFAC [Dining Facility meal]." Another image showed Marines reacting with delight to the headline "Chemists discover a new colour and Crayola is turning it into a new crayon," exclaiming, "New flavour!!"

By the early 2020s, TikTok users took notice. Creators like @sweetsupportusa and @bigwill1997 posted crayon-eating skits and explanations, racking up hundreds of thousands of views in short order.

@sweetsupportusa #marine #marinecorps #marinefamily #marines #crayons #crayonsreadytoeat #crayoneater #crayon #crayola #yum #marinewife #jokes #marinejokes #freerange ♬ Cooler Than Me – Ethan Fields

@bigwill1997 Marines and Crayons #EndlessJourney #military #usmc #marine #joke #crayon #fyp #army #navy #crayola #crayon #snack #funny #love #miltok ♬ original sound – BigWill1997

What's With Memes About Titans From 'Destiny' Eating Crayons?

At some point, the joke broke containment beyond military circles. By 2019, Destiny 2 players had picked it up, applying the "crayon eater" label to the game's Titan class.

Known for brute force and limited finesse (and punching things), Titans were an obvious fit for a jab originally aimed at Marines. Twitter users like @RickKackis and @XiiGuardian posted viral memes likening Titans to enthusiastic crayon snackers.

What Are Some More Crayon Eater Memes?

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For the full history of Marines Eating Crayons, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.