Meaning
What does That’s A Paddlin’ mean?
That’s a paddlin’ refers to a popular catchphrase, associated with The Simpsons character Jasper Beardly.
The expression is primarily used online on an image macro of the character, to reflect on draconian rules that are being enforced harshly.
via MEME
Origin
What's the origin of That’s A Paddlin’?
The phrase can be traced back to Season 6, Episode 21 of The Simpsons, which aired under the title The PTA Disbands on April 16th, 1995.
The episode presents viewers with a plot where all teachers in Springfield go on strike, so voluntary substitute teachers like Jasper Beardly take the reins of education.
One of the scenes introduce the punitive practices of Jasper; namely, whenever someone misbehaves, “That’s a paddlin’”.
Spread & Usage
How did That’s A Paddlin’ spread?
“That’s a paddlin’” has been used online since 2008, especially on forums and message boards such as Reddit or 4chan.
Initially, it came up in relation to topics about corporal punishment in education, however over time, the catchphrase morphed into a meme.
An early clip of the original scene was uploaded to YouTube by user savva88 on January 7th, 2012.
Since then, the meme grew even more popular, appearing on sites like me.me, 9GAG, Reddit, Imgur and Tumblr.
External resources
- Simpsonswiki.com – That’s a paddlin’
- Screenrant.com – The Simpsons: 10 Hilarious “That’s A Paddlin” Memes That Are Too Funny