GagBase Logo Explore

You are bad guy. But that doesn't mean you a BAD guy

This is a viral meme covering the real-life story of Arizona inmate Ricky Wassenaar. The main image shows Ricky from behind, wearing an orange prison uniform, raising a homemade prison weapon (a rock wrapped in netting inside a sock) over his shoulder inside a prison dining hall with other inmates blurred in the background. A circular inset headshot of Ricky is also included. The image displays a quote from Ricky after he killed 3 convicted child molesters in one day in prison, where he states he wanted to kill all child molesters so taxpayers no longer have to pay to house them, and that this action is him paying his debt to society, noting his original goal was to kill 13. The meme's title plays on widespread public sentiment that while Ricky is technically a convicted inmate (a 'bad guy'), many people view his actions against child predators as morally justified, hence the wording that he is a bad guy but not a BAD guy.
Make

Text content

"CHILD MOLESTERS: I WANTED TO KILL THEM ALL. THE TAXPAYERS NO LONGER HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM. I'M PAYING MY DEBT TO SOCIETY." — ARIZONA INMATE RICKY WASSENAAR, AFTER KILLING 3 CONVICTED PEDOPHILES IN ONE DAY. HIS GOAL WAS 13.

Overview

This is a viral meme covering the real-life story of Arizona inmate Ricky Wassenaar. The main image shows Ricky from behind, wearing an orange prison uniform, raising a homemade prison weapon (a rock wrapped in netting inside a sock) over his shoulder inside a prison dining hall with other inmates blurred in the background. A circular inset headshot of Ricky is also included. The image displays a quote from Ricky after he killed 3 convicted child molesters in one day in prison, where he states he wanted to kill all child molesters so taxpayers no longer have to pay to house them, and that this action is him paying his debt to society, noting his original goal was to kill 13. The meme's title plays on widespread public sentiment that while Ricky is technically a convicted inmate (a 'bad guy'), many people view his actions against child predators as morally justified, hence the wording that he is a bad guy but not a BAD guy.

Origin notes

This content was originally posted to the Facebook page 'Things You Don't Know Official', then reposted to 9Gag with the added meme title. It covers a real incident that took place in an Arizona prison where inmate Ricky Wassenaar killed multiple incarcerated child molesters.

Similar memes

The image depicts a group of people, including security personnel in yellow vests and families with children, gathered outside a building labeled 'MIGRATIONSVERKET - WELCOME TO SWEDEN'. The scene is set on a rainy day with traditional Swedish-style red wooden buildings in the background. Overlaid on the image is a prominent news headline stating: 'SWEDEN REVOKES THE REFUGEE STATUS OF REFUGEES WHO GO ON VACATION IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY. THE REASONING: IF THE SITUATION WERE SO DIRE, THEY WOULD NEVER GO THERE ON VACATION'. A watermark at the bottom of the image reads 'FACEBOOK.COM/THINGSYOUDONTKNOWOFFICIAL'.

Sweden Revokes Refugee Status for Vacationing Home

The image depicts a group of …

A news-style graphic featuring a woman in a white blazer standing against a blue background. Two circular insets are present: one showing a hand wearing a purple glove holding a syringe, and another displaying the Italian flag waving against a blue sky. Bold white text at the bottom reads 'ITALY MOVES FORWARD WITH CHEMICAL CASTRATION FOR RAPISTS AND PEDOPHILES' with a 'NEWS' label above it. A watermark at the bottom indicates 'FACEBOOK.COM/THINGSYOUDONTKNOWOFFICIAL'.

ITALY MOVES FORWARD WITH CHEMICAL CASTRATION FOR RAPISTS AND PEDOPHILES

A news-style graphic featurin…

This is a dark humor viral meme formatted as a sensational news graphic. The main foreground features a portrait of a 75-year-old East Asian man wearing a bright orange collared shirt, with a calm faint smile, posed against a plain concrete wall background. In the upper right corner, a circular inset shows a photo of two neighbors (a Black adult man and a younger Black person) smiling, with red X marks edited over their glasses to indicate they are deceased. Text overlay at the bottom of the graphic reads 'VIRAL' followed by the headline stating the 75-year-old man eliminated his neighbors after years of having dog feces and diapers thrown on his balcony. A smaller line of text at the bottom left asks 'Reasonable crashout?', while the bottom right has the creator watermark @cursednews4u. The meme plays on relatable frustration with rude, inconsiderate neighbors, asking audiences if the man's extreme violent reaction was understandable after years of repeated mistreatment.

75 Year Old Man Got Tired of Neighbors Throwing Trash on His Balcony

This is a dark humor viral me…

The meme displays a press photograph of Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, being escorted by multiple NYPD officers and tactical personnel while wearing an orange prison jumpsuit. Overlaid white text with black outlines argues that there is a major inequity in US criminal justice: very few mass shooters (including Patrick Crusius, who murdered 23 people in the racist 2019 El Paso mass shooting and was not sought for the death penalty by federal prosecutors) face the death penalty, while prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty for Mangione for killing a single wealthy CEO, implying the justice system values the lives of rich people far more than average citizens killed in mass attacks.

Critique of US Justice System Double Standard Over Death Penalty Application

The meme displays a press pho…

This meme features a booking mugshot of a Black man in an orange prison uniform, standing against a standard police height chart backdrop. In the upper left corner, a graphic displays stacks of bundled US dollar bills. Overlaid text at the bottom of the image reads that the man selected a 1-year prison sentence rather than repaying $1 million that was accidentally deposited into his bank account. The implied joke, referenced in the original 9Gag title, is that the man already spent the majority of the deposited funds, so he considers a short prison term a better option than paying back the full amount of money.

Man Chooses 1-Year Prison Sentence Instead of Repaying $1 Million Accidental Bank Deposit

This meme features a booking …

A news-style graphic with a dark gray background and yellow border, featuring a middle-aged man in a dark suit, white shirt, and striped tie. The man has visible red/purple facial marks (birth defect). A circular inset on the left shows a close-up of the same man. Prominent text at the bottom reads about a Spanish scientist curing pancreatic cancer in mice but being mocked for his birth defect, emphasizing that animal model cures are a major step toward human treatment. A 'NEWS' label is in the bottom left, and a 'THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW' logo is in the top left.

Spanish Scientist Cured Pancreatic Cancer in Mice, Mocked for Birth Defect

A news-style graphic with a d…

The image depicts a cluttered room with scattered clothing, storage containers, a wooden table, and a dresser. A man stands in the foreground with his hands in his pockets, wearing a black t-shirt and denim shorts. In the top-left corner, an inset circular photo shows another man wearing a black cap with 'GET OUT' printed on it, holding a blue handheld device. At the bottom of the image, bold text reads: 'THE "SQUATTER HUNTER" SQUATS SQUATTERS AND ANNOYS THEM UNTIL THEY LEAVE, THEN HE RETURNS THE HOME TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNER' with 'THEFEEDSKI' displayed above the text.

The 'Squatter Hunter' Squats to Remove Squatters

The image depicts a cluttered…

This is a collage-style meme that combines three key elements: a fabricated news headline at the top claiming Jeffrey Epstein abuse survivor Virginia Giuffre died by suicide, a real photo of Giuffre standing between Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and a screenshot of a verified Twitter/X post from Giuffre below the photo. In her tweet, Giuffre clarifies she is not suicidal, has informed her healthcare providers of this, and warns that if harm comes to her, people should not let the issue drop, stating 'too many evil people want to see me quiteted' (with a typo replacing 'quieted'). The meme leans into conspiracy theories surrounding the Epstein case, suggesting that powerful forces may attempt to silence Giuffre, framing the fake headline as a potential foreshadowing of foul play or a cover-up.

Virginia Giuffre Fake Suicide Headline vs. Her Preemptive Warning Tweet

This is a collage-style meme …

This is a remixed, sensationalized meme that combines a real mugshot of notorious drug lord El Mencho (Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes) with a stock photo of a couple in a club setting. The image swaps the man's face in the club photo with El Mencho's mugshot, and includes text claiming the 30-year untouchable figure was betrayed by his girlfriend for a $15 million reward. The meme uses juxtaposition of a formal law enforcement photo and casual intimate club imagery to create a humorous, shocking take on a real-world true crime news event.

El Mencho: Untouchable Drug Lord Betrayed by Girlfriend for $15M

This is a remixed, sensationa…

This meme combines a mugshot of a bald, bearded California inmate (who changed his name to Caesar Augustus) with text detailing his controversial actions: he is serving a life sentence for strangling his sister's rapist to death, and while incarcerated, has killed five child molesters using his walking cane. He states, "If you keep sending them here, I'll keep killing them," and told a judge he is proud of his actions and will continue until he is too old. The meme frames him as an unconventional, unsung hero—playing on the wholesome "not all heroes wear capes" trope, but applying it to a violent real-world figure targeting universally reviled criminals.

Not All Heroes Wear Capes, Some Have Canes (Inmate Who Targets Child Molesters)

This meme combines a mugshot …

A news-themed meme highlighting the discovery of a new marsupial species, featuring two photographs of the animal: a large central image and a smaller circular inset, both showing the marsupial clinging to tree bark with disproportionately large, fluffy ears. The bold text overlay reads 'NEWS A BRAND NEW MARSUPIAL SPECIES WAS DISCOVERED WITH EARS BIGGER THAN ITS OWN FACE', emphasizing the species' most distinctive trait. The top-left corner displays a 'THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW' logo, and the bottom contains a Facebook URL for the same page, framing the content as educational and uplifting.

Finally, some good news

A news-themed meme highlighti…

The image is a collage combining three photographs and accompanying explanatory text. The top left photograph is a wedding portrait of the victim and his wife, labeled 'THE BETRAYAL'. The middle small inset is a headshot of a member of the vigilante group responsible, labeled 'THE VIGILANTE'. The top right is surveillance footage showing the victim being abducted near a car, circled in red, labeled 'THE ABDUCTION'. Below the photo collage, large text describes the case: an innocent father was tortured and killed by a group of chainsaw-wielding vigilantes who identify as 'paedophile hunters', acting on a false accusation from his wife that he had molested her daughters.

Innocent dad killed by chainsaw-wielding paedophile hunter mob after wife's false accusation

The image is a collage combin…