{"slug":"obama-medal","name":"Obama Medal","url":"/templates/obama-medal.jpg","w":1015,"h":627,"top":"","bottom":"","description":"Obama awards a medal to... Obama. The self-congratulation meme. Label who is giving and who is receiving to expose any act of praising yourself.","keywords":"obama medal meme, obama awards obama meme, self congratulation meme, obama giving medal meme, presidential medal meme","year":2019,"origin":"A photoshopped image of Barack Obama placing the Presidential Medal of Freedom around his own neck. The original photo was from a real ceremony where Obama awarded the medal to various honorees, but the edit duplicates him into both the giver and receiver. The format works because the absurdity of awarding yourself a medal is instantly recognizable as self-congratulation. For a different take on unearned self-praise, see Leonardo DiCaprio Cheers (toasting yourself). For the opposite energy of judging someone else, see Skinner Pathetic (looking down on others).","format":"template","textBoxes":[{"label":"Receiving","x":3.2,"y":64.9,"w":45,"h":30,"placeholder":"Who gets the medal","fontFamily":"Arial","fontColor":"#FFFFFF","strokeColor":"#000000","strokeWidth":2,"isBold":true,"isItalic":false,"isAllCaps":false,"textAlign":"center","fontSize":45,"opacity":1},{"label":"Giving","x":49.3,"y":45.2,"w":45,"h":30,"placeholder":"Who gives the medal","fontFamily":"Arial","fontColor":"#FFFFFF","strokeColor":"#000000","strokeWidth":2,"isBold":true,"isItalic":false,"isAllCaps":false,"textAlign":"center","fontSize":45,"opacity":1}],"howToMake":["Two text fields appear over the two Obamas. Left field labels the medal recipient; right field labels the one giving it","Both labels are usually the same person or entity, since the whole joke is that someone is awarding themselves. But you can also use it for mutual back-patting between two parties","Keep labels under four words. The image composition is horizontal, so short text fills the lower area cleanly","White text with black stroke reads well against the dark suits and gold curtain. The medal ribbon pops blue between the two labels","Export your self-awarded honor as a PNG or copy it for wherever someone needs to be called out for congratulating themselves"],"exampleCaptions":["Me after doing one push-up","Also me"],"exampleAltText":"Obama Medal meme about awarding yourself a medal after doing one push-up","exampleRefreshDate":"2026-04-25","seo":{"aliases":["Obama Awards Obama Meme","Obama Self Medal Meme","Presidential Medal Meme","Self Award Meme","Obama Congratulating Obama"],"description":"Barack Obama in a dark suit places a Presidential Medal of Freedom around the neck of... Barack Obama. The left Obama beams with pride, hand touching his face in a humble \"who, me?\" gesture. The right Obama has eyes half-closed in concentration as he fastens the blue ribbon. Gold drapes hang behind them. An American flag peeks from the right edge. The photoshop is seamless enough that the absurdity takes a beat to register: this man is literally giving himself the nation's highest civilian honor.","definition":"A photoshopped image of Obama awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to himself. Both the giver and receiver are labeled to expose any situation where someone is congratulating themselves or creating their own validation.","useCases":[{"category":"Self-Congratulation at Work","examples":["My manager / My manager for the idea I suggested three months ago","HR / HR for sending a \"we care about you\" email during layoffs","Me finishing the bare minimum / Also me writing \"exceeded expectations\" on my self-review","The CEO / The CEO for the company's success while cutting bonuses","Me answering one email / Also me taking a 45-minute break as a reward"]},{"category":"Social Media Ego","examples":["Me posting a selfie / Me liking my own selfie from another account","Me retweeting my own tweet / Me thanking myself for the engagement","My finsta / My main account congratulating my finsta for being authentic","Influencers / Influencers giving themselves \"most inspiring\" awards"]},{"category":"Cooking and Food Wins","examples":["Me for not burning the pasta / Also me calling myself a chef now","Me microwaving leftovers successfully / Also me accepting a Michelin star","Me adding salt / Also me for \"seasoning to perfection\"","Me making toast / Also me for \"preparing a gourmet breakfast\""]},{"category":"Fitness Delusions","examples":["Me after one gym session / Also me buying a \"beast mode\" tank top","Me walking to the fridge / Also me counting it as cardio","Me stretching once / Also me telling people I do yoga","Me choosing the salad / Also me adding enough ranch to drown it"]},{"category":"Academic Self-Awards","examples":["Me for finishing the assignment / Me for finishing it 30 seconds before the deadline","Me citing one source / Also me calling it \"extensive research\"","Me reading the syllabus / Also me for \"staying on top of coursework\"","Me guessing C on the multiple choice / Also me for \"trusting my instincts\""]},{"category":"Gaming Achievements","examples":["Me after winning one game / Also me updating my bio to \"pro gamer\"","Me beating the tutorial / Also me acting like I speedran the game","Me getting one kill in the entire match / Also me calling it \"clutch\""]}]}}