The Stock Photo Love Triangle That Explained Everything
Distracted Boyfriend shows a man walking with his girlfriend, turning to check out another woman while his girlfriend looks on in disgust. This 2015 stock photo became 2017’s most versatile meme template, capable of representing any scenario involving temptation, priorities, or conflicting choices.
Stock Photo Origins (2015-2017)
Photographer Antonio Guillem shot the image in 2015 as part of a stock photo series for Shutterstock, depicting a “disloyal man” narrative. The models were Spanish: man (Mario Pobes), girlfriend (Laura Sarrion), other woman (not publicly identified).
The photo sat in stock libraries until August 2017, when Turkish Facebook page Paçiz used it with Turkish labels. Twitter user @PhilAronas reposted it (“When your current bae is fire but someone hotter walks by”), and it exploded globally.
Universal Template (2017-2023)
The three-person format allowed infinite scenarios:
- Original love triangle: temptation, infidelity, wandering eye
- Priorities: new interest vs. commitment
- Fandoms: new show vs. old favorite
- Technology: new app vs. established platform
- Politics: voter preference shifting
- Personal: any conflicting choice
The meme’s staying power came from clear visual storytelling—no words needed, anyone could understand boyfriend distracted, girlfriend angry, other woman alluring.
Meme Evolution & Backlash
By 2018, the template was so overused it became meta—memes about distracted boyfriend memes, ironic uses, complex multi-panel narratives using the same models from Guillem’s entire series (there were dozens of photos showing the relationship’s arc).
Critics called it sexist—reducing women to passive objects of male attention. But defenders noted its satire of male behavior, not endorsement. The meme itself became the distracted boyfriend—people moved to newer templates while occasionally returning to the classic.
By 2020-2023, it was considered “classic meme” status—still recognizable and occasionally deployed, but no longer dominating feeds.
Sources:
- Know Your Meme: Distracted Boyfriend comprehensive history
- BBC: “How one stock photo took over the internet” (2017)
- The Guardian: “The story behind ‘Distracted Boyfriend’” (2018)