Wholesome
what it means
A category as much as an adjective. "Wholesome" content is unironically nice, which online is a deliberate stance rather than a default.
Content that is sincerely kind or heartwarming, in contrast to irony-heavy internet humour.
the origin story
Reddit communities such as r/wholesomememes from 2016 formalised it as a genre.
It emerged as a direct counterweight to irony-poisoned humour, and became commercially valuable — brands chase wholesome positioning constantly. That in turn produced scepticism about "performative wholesomeness" as a marketing strategy.
in the wild
The video of the kid and the postman.
Genuinely wholesome, I needed that.
The bank posted a video about kindness.
Performative wholesome. No thanks.
how to use it
- Describing sincerely heartwarming content
- Discussing internet humour styles
- Casual conversation
- Sarcastically in a way that undercuts genuine kindness
- About content that is clearly marketing
- Professionally without context
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
keep scrolling
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