AboutWhat does the meme depict?
The Spongebob in Mailbox / Hi Mailman! meme consists of a screen capture from the beloved animated series Spongebob Squarepants. In the scene, Spongebob, the eponymous yellow sponge, unexpectedly pops out of a mailbox in front of Norton the Mailman, causing Norton to scream in surprise. This image is popularly used in various image macros and object labeling memes where Spongebob's sudden appearance and the mailman's startled reaction are humorously applied to various situations.
OriginWho did it first?
The meme originated from an episode of Spongebob Squarepants titled "Chocolate with Nuts," which first aired on June 1st, 2002. In this episode, Spongebob hides inside a mailbox as part of a comic setup. When the mailman, named Norton, opens the mailbox to deliver the mail, Spongebob surprises him by bursting out and cheerfully yelling, 'Hi mailman!' which leads to Norton screaming in shock. This moment has been captured and repurposed in countless memes and video edits. Further details about the episode can be found on the Spongebob Squarepants Fandom page. The scene is also available to watch on YouTube.[1]
Origin: 2002