What is this, a Center for Ants?! Meme Generator
Use this when something meant to be impressive, useful, or adequate is laughably too small, weak, limited, or underbuilt for its stated purpose. The joke is incredulous rejection: first name the underwhelming thing, then hammer home that it is nowhere near enough.
Also known as What Is This, a Center for Ants?, Center for Ants, Zoolander, Derek Zoolander.
Make a What is this, a Center for Ants?! meme
What the What is this, a Center for Ants?! meme means
A still from Zoolander shows Derek Zoolander in a shiny silver suit glaring at and gesturing toward a tiny architectural model on a pedestal in a plain white room. The meme usually references his line about the model school being absurdly small, with empty space above him and across the lower middle for captions.
Use this when something meant to be impressive, useful, or adequate is laughably too small, weak, limited, or underbuilt for its stated purpose. The joke is incredulous rejection: first name the underwhelming thing, then hammer home that it is nowhere near enough.

- Caption boxes
- 2
- Tone
- indignant
- Status
- classic
- Origin
- Know Your Meme entry
What goes in each caption box
Box 1: the too-small or inadequate thing being mocked
Phrase this as the supposed solution, product, budget, room, feature, or effort that is being judged as absurdly insufficient. Keep it to about 8 words so it stays readable.
Box 2: the complaint or bigger-needed follow-up
Write an indignant line explaining why it fails or how much bigger/better it would need to be, echoing Zoolander's over-the-top criticism. Keep it to about 12 words so it stays readable.
What is this, a Center for Ants?! meme examples
Questions about the What is this, a Center for Ants?! meme
- What does the What is this, a Center for Ants?! meme mean?
- A still from Zoolander shows Derek Zoolander in a shiny silver suit glaring at and gesturing toward a tiny architectural model on a pedestal in a plain white room. The meme usually references his line about the model school being absurdly small, with empty space above him and across the lower middle for captions. Use this when something meant to be impressive, useful, or adequate is laughably too small, weak, limited, or underbuilt for its stated purpose. The joke is incredulous rejection: first name the underwhelming thing, then hammer home that it is nowhere near enough.
- How many captions does the What is this, a Center for Ants?! template have?
- It has 2 caption boxes: box 1 is the too-small or inadequate thing being mocked, box 2 is the complaint or bigger-needed follow-up.
- How do I make a What is this, a Center for Ants?! meme?
- Describe your situation in one line and the generator picks the wording for each caption box, places it on the What is this, a Center for Ants?! template and gives you a PNG to download. No account is needed to browse formats.
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