{"slug":"high-five-drown","name":"High Five Drown","url":"/templates/high-five-drown.png","w":720,"h":540,"top":"","bottom":"","description":"Four-panel cartoon by artist Gudim: a drowning person reaches for help, gets a high-five instead, and sinks. Label the players in this tragicomedy.","keywords":"high five drown meme, gudim comic meme, drowning high five, unhelpful help meme, token gesture meme, four panel comic meme","year":2019,"origin":"Drawn by Russian artist Gudim, this four-panel comic went viral for its darkly comic take on unhelpful support. The contrast between asking for real help and receiving a cheerful high-five resonated with anyone who has ever vented to a well-meaning but oblivious friend. The clean pastel art style makes the punchline feel gentle despite the bleak subject. For a similar \"useless gesture\" format, see This Is Fine.","format":"template","textBoxes":[{"label":"Drowning Person","x":2,"y":2,"w":46,"h":15,"placeholder":"Who is drowning","fontFamily":"Impact","fontColor":"#FFFFFF","strokeColor":"#000000","strokeWidth":2,"isBold":true,"isAllCaps":true,"textAlign":"center","fontSize":28,"opacity":1},{"label":"Helper","x":52,"y":2,"w":46,"h":15,"placeholder":"Who \"helps\"","fontFamily":"Impact","fontColor":"#FFFFFF","strokeColor":"#000000","strokeWidth":2,"isBold":true,"isAllCaps":true,"textAlign":"center","fontSize":28,"opacity":1},{"label":"The \"Help\"","x":2,"y":52,"w":46,"h":15,"placeholder":"What the help actually is","fontFamily":"Impact","fontColor":"#FFFFFF","strokeColor":"#000000","strokeWidth":2,"isBold":true,"isAllCaps":true,"textAlign":"center","fontSize":28,"opacity":1}],"exampleCaptions":["ME STRUGGLING WITH DEADLINES","MY FRIEND","\"YOU GOT THIS BRO\""],"exampleAltText":"High Five Drown meme: drowning person labeled \"Me struggling with deadlines,\" helper labeled \"My friend,\" high five labeled \"You got this bro\"","exampleRefreshDate":"2026-04-29","howToMake":["The High Five Drown template loads with 3 text fields positioned across the 4-panel comic.","Label the drowning person in the top-left panel with who or what needs real help.","Label the reaching hand in the top-right with whoever is supposed to help.","Label the high-five in the bottom-left with the useless gesture they offer instead.","Download and share for any situation where the \"help\" completely misses the point."],"seo":{"aliases":["Gudim Comic Meme","Drowning High Five","Unhelpful Help Meme","Token Gesture Meme","High Five Instead of Help","Four Panel Drown Meme"],"description":"A four-panel (2x2) pastel cartoon comic by Russian artist Gudim. Panel 1: A hand reaches up from blue water, drowning. Panel 2: Another hand reaches down toward the drowning hand. Panel 3: The hands meet in a celebratory high-five against a pink background. Panel 4: The drowning person sinks below the water, leaving only bubbles. The cheerful middle panel makes the futility land even harder.","definition":"Label the drowning person, the \"helper,\" and the useless gesture they offer instead of actual rescue. The format captures the gap between needing real help and receiving a token of support that changes nothing.","useCases":[{"category":"Work & Career","examples":["Me drowning in emails / HR / \"Have you tried time management?\"","My workload / Management / \"Pizza party!\"","Me burning out / My boss / \"Great attitude, keep it up!\"","Me asking for a raise / The company / \"We value your contributions\""]},{"category":"School & Studying","examples":["Me failing exams / Guidance counselor / \"Have you tried studying harder?\"","Me drowning in student debt / Government / \"0.1% interest rate cut\"","Me panicking before finals / Friend / \"Bro just don't stress\"","My GPA / My parents / \"Maybe try flashcards\""]},{"category":"Relationships","examples":["Me venting about my day / Partner scrolling phone / \"That sucks lol\"","Me needing emotional support / Friend / \"Everything happens for a reason\"","Me going through a breakup / Bestie / \"Plenty of fish in the sea\"","Me anxious at 2am / Wellness app / \"Have you tried deep breathing?\""]},{"category":"Technology","examples":["My code crashing / Stack Overflow / \"Marked as duplicate\"","Production going down / IT / \"Did you clear the cache?\"","Me stuck on a bug / Teammate / \"Works on my machine\"","My PC overheating / Forum answer / \"Just buy a new PC\""]},{"category":"Health & Wellness","examples":["Me with anxiety / Internet / \"Have you tried yoga?\"","Me exhausted / Doctor / \"Are you drinking enough water?\"","Me with insomnia / Sleep app / \"Wind down with chamomile tea\"","Me with back pain / Everyone / \"You should stretch more\""]}]}}