Also called Black Guy Stopping · Gillette Man Stopping Man · Let Me Stop You Right There
One man starts toward someone walking past; another puts a hand out to stop him. Label what you want, who wants it, and the thing that gets in the way.
The top panel introduces an intention. The lower panel interrupts it with a rule, a practical obstacle, or a sudden reminder.
The person stopping the action can be helpful or inconvenient. Assign the roles clearly so the audience can see why the interruption happens.
The frames come from Gillette’s “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be” advertisement, uploaded to YouTube on January 14, 2019. The scene shows one man stopping another from approaching a woman walking past. [2] [1]
On January 25, Reddit user jillianbrodsky shared a two-panel meme and template in r/MemeEconomy. Labeled versions spread to other Reddit communities and Instagram over the following days. [2]
Label the woman in the top panel with the goal or temptation. Label the man in grey with the person pursuing it, and the man in plaid below with the obstacle.
Keep each role to a few words. The stopping hand and both men’s expressions should remain visible.
Original captions to try with this template.
An appealing purchase runs into the amount available to spend.
A forgotten household task interrupts the plan to sleep.
The obstacle catches a problem before the release goes out.
References for this template. Example captions are original.
The brand describes its 2019 We Believe campaign.
Identifies the ad scene and documents the January 2019 template post and subsequent spread.
