Swole Doge vs. Cheems

Origin

The format pairs two Shiba Inu built from earlier, separate memes. ‘Swole Doge’ (also ‘Buff Doge’) traces to July 7, 2019, when the Redditor purnya232 posted an edit grafting a hugely muscular, bodybuilder physique onto Doge on the subreddit r/dogelore; the face is Kabosu, the Japanese Shiba photographed by her owner Atsuko Sato in 2010 who became the original Doge. ‘Cheems’ comes from Balltze, a Shiba Inu from Hong Kong: on June 8, 2019, Reddit user Spicy_Meme_Boi turned a photo of Balltze (first posted to the dog’s Instagram on September 4, 2017) into the early ‘Cheemsburbger’ meme, giving the character its signature quirk of cramming extra ‘m’ sounds into words.

The two were first staged against each other in the now-standard side-by-side on February 5, 2020, in a post from the Facebook page ‘Doges artesanales,’ widely cited as the earliest Swole Doge vs. Cheems meme. The template gathered real momentum from around May 19, 2020 on Reddit and Facebook; an early hit comparing priests in the years 1450 and 2020 pulled in roughly 83,900 upvotes in a single week.

What it means and how it is used

In the standard joke, the muscular dog represents a stronger, more capable, or idealized version of something, while the small, meek Cheems represents a weaker, diminished present. It became a go-to ‘then versus now’ and ‘us versus them’ device, applied to generational comparisons, fandom and console rivalries, technology debates and nostalgia takes, always casting one side as buff and the other as feeble. The exaggerated strength gap is what makes the comparison land instantly.

How it spread

Born on r/dogelore and dog-meme Facebook pages, the format spread across Reddit, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram through 2020, quickly becoming one of the year’s most reused two-panel templates thanks to how little text it needs to make a point. It slotted in beside other 2020 comparison formats and helped Cheems break out as a standalone character, complete with his own ‘Cheemsburbger’ catchphrase and a wave of merch and fan art.

Notable examples and variations

• ‘Back in my day’ generational comparisons.
• Fandom, console and software rivalries.
• ‘Old vs new’ takes where the past is drawn as swole and the present as Cheems.
• Reversed versions that flip which side is buff for ironic effect.

Legacy

Both dogs behind the meme have since passed away. Balltze (Cheems) died on August 18, 2023 at age 12 after a battle with cancer, prompting an outpouring of tributes, a public funeral and thousands of dollars in donations to animal charities in his memory; Kabosu, the original Doge, died in 2024. The template remains a staple of comparison humor and a monument to the enduring reach of the Doge-family Shiba Inu memes.