It's Not a Phase

About

It’s not a phase (occasionally expanded into “It’s not a phase mom, this is who I really am”) is a sarcastic phrase that has been associated with various images that poke fun at individuals –often teens– that have made questionable lifestyle or fashion choices. Depicted in this meme are often goths, emos, queers, otherkin and furries due to their edgy and cringeworthy nature.

Origin

The phrase is presumably often said without irony by rebellious teenagers who are antagonized by authority figures, like parents or teachers, regarding a particular (long-term) choice. Multiple submissions in urban dictionary aptly define the word phase.^[1] The earliest known instance of the phrase trending online is on 2010, the same year that Scene Wolf– an advice animal that often makes use of the phrase – began spreading.

Spread

At least 15 posts featuring the phrase have received more than 1000 points on Reddit^[2]. One of the most popular was a post to /r/gaming, featuring a reference to an American television comedy called “Raising Hope” where a teen goes through a punk phase and calls himself “Drakkar Noir,” the name of a cologne famous for its strong scent.^[3] In addition, the phrase frequently employed as a caption to images on Tumblr.^[4]

Another popular image combines the image macro of Scene Wolf, seen above, with that of the image from which Scene Wolf’s hair was taken, a popular emo girl named Vanna Venom. On Funnyjunk, this image has over 18,000 views and 79 comments since its original posting on November 27th, 2015. ^[5]^[6]