You’ve seen it. Everyone has. It’s that tight close-up of a man’s face, his eyes glassy and bloodshot, as a single, crystal-clear tear tracks slowly down his cheek. It is the black guy shedding a tear meme, and it’s basically the gold standard for expressing "I'm hurt, but I'm trying to be cool about it." Honestly, it’s one of those rare images that didn't just go viral for a week and die; it became a permanent part of how we talk to each other online.
But here’s the thing—most people using it have no idea who the guy actually is. They just know the vibe.
The man in the photo is Ayoola Smart, and no, he wasn't actually crying because his favorite sports team lost or because his DoorDash order was wrong. The image is a still from a music video. Specifically, it’s from the video for the song "Praying" by the artist Kesha, released back in 2017.
It’s kind of wild how a moment of genuine cinematic emotion gets stripped of its context and turned into a punchline for when you realize tomorrow is Monday.
The Story Behind the Single Tear
Most memes come from nowhere, but this one has a specific pedigree. The "Praying" music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund, a guy known for high-concept, visually arresting work. He’s worked with everyone from Beyoncé to Lady Gaga. When he captured that shot of Ayoola, he wasn't looking for a meme template. He was looking for raw, spiritual vulnerability.
The video itself deals with heavy themes of healing, trauma, and redemption. In that context, the tear represents a release. It’s heavy.
Then the internet got ahold of it.
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Twitter (now X) users started pairing the image with captions about the most mundane, low-stakes tragedies imaginable. You know the ones. "When you get to the window and they say the ice cream machine is broken." Or, "When you realize you left your headphones at home and have to walk in silence."
The contrast is what makes it work. You have this incredibly intense, beautiful shot of a man experiencing what looks like a soul-shattering epiphany, and you’re using it to complain about a $15 salad. That’s the "secret sauce" of the black guy shedding a tear meme. It bridges the gap between genuine pathos and the "first-world problems" we all deal with daily.
Why This Specific Image Won the Internet
There are thousands of crying memes. You have the "Crying Jordan" face, which is the king of sports failure. You have the "Kim Kardashian ugly cry," which is for when things are just messy. But the black guy shedding a tear meme occupies a different space.
It’s dignified.
The framing is tight. The lighting is soft. The tear is perfectly formed. It’s "pretty crying." Because of that, people use it when they want to show they’re being dramatic, but in a self-aware way. It’s a "relatable" sadness.
According to digital culture researchers like those at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, memes often survive because of their "polysemy"—the ability for one image to mean a dozen different things depending on the caption. This image is a blank slate for disappointment. It’s not just about being sad; it’s about being disappointed. There’s a weariness in his eyes that resonates with anyone who has ever survived a long work week or a bad breakup.
Misidentifying the Face of the Meme
For a long time, people actually thought the man in the meme was someone else. There was a weird rumor floating around that it was a younger version of an actor from a 90s sitcom, or even a random stock photo model.
It wasn't until the credits for the Kesha video were scrutinized that Ayoola Smart got his due. He’s an actor, and frankly, he should probably get some kind of award for having the most recognizable tear ducts in the world.
It’s interesting to look at how these moments are commodified. Ayoola didn't set out to be a global symbol of "I’m hurt," but that’s the power of the freeze-frame. One second of a performance can define a career in ways the actor never intended. It's kinda like how James Van Der Beek will always be the "Dawson's Creek Crying Guy" regardless of any other role he takes.
The Evolution of the Meme's Usage
- The Sincere Era (2017): People used it to talk about actual emotional music or movies.
- The Irony Era (2018-2020): This is when it peaked. It became the go-to response for minor inconveniences.
- The Reaction Image Era (Current): Now, it’s often used without any text at all. If you post that image in a group chat, everyone knows exactly how you're feeling.
The Psychology of the "Relatable Cry"
Why do we love seeing people cry in memes?
Psychologically, it’s a form of "benign masochism." We like to engage with sad imagery in a safe, controlled way. When we see the black guy shedding a tear meme, it triggers a tiny bit of empathy, but because we know it’s a meme, it immediately pivots to humor.
It’s a coping mechanism.
Life is hard. The economy is weird. Social media is a dumpster fire. Sometimes, the only thing you can do is post a picture of a guy with a single tear to show that you're barely holding it together, but you still have a sense of humor about it.
Also, we have to talk about the aesthetics. The "single tear" is a classic cinematic trope. It’s much more evocative than a full-on bawl. It suggests a story. What happened right before that tear fell? What happens after? The meme lets us fill in those blanks with our own nonsense.
How to Use the Meme Without Being "Cringe"
If you’re still using this meme in 2026, you have to be careful. Memes have shelf lives, though this one seems to be an outlier.
To keep it fresh, avoid the obvious captions. Don’t use it for "When you drop your pizza." That’s been done ten million times. Use it for the hyper-specific, modern anxieties.
- "When the Wi-Fi cuts out during the last 5 minutes of the series finale."
- "When you realize the 'quick 15-minute nap' turned into 4 hours and it's dark outside."
- "When you check your bank account after a 'treat yourself' weekend."
The more specific the pain, the funnier the meme becomes.
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The Impact on Modern Communication
Think about how much harder it would be to express mild disappointment without images like this. We’ve moved past simple emojis. A yellow 😢 emoji is fine, but it doesn't have the soul of the black guy shedding a tear meme.
We’ve created a digital shorthand. This image is a linguistic tool. It’s a way to communicate a complex emotional state—distress, resignation, beauty, and irony—all in one file. That’s why it’s not going anywhere. It’s part of the furniture now.
Actionable Steps for Meme Culture Enthusiasts
If you're looking to dive deeper into why certain images like this stick while others vanish after two days, here is how you can stay ahead of the curve:
- Track the Source: Always look for the original context. Understanding that this came from a Kesha video adds a layer of irony to your posts that most people miss.
- Monitor High-Production Content: The best memes usually come from high-budget music videos or movies because the lighting and acting are professional. This makes the "single tear" look more dramatic than a grainy cell phone video.
- Study Longevity: Notice how the memes that survive are the ones that represent a universal emotion (sadness, anger, confusion) rather than a specific event. This is why the shedding tear remains a staple while "political event" memes die in a week.
- Vary Your Reaction Gallery: Don't just rely on one image. Mix in newer variations to keep your digital communication from feeling dated.
Ultimately, the reason we keep coming back to this specific image is simple: it's a perfect capture of a human moment. Even if we use it to joke about our phone batteries dying, that single tear represents a shared understanding of what it feels like to just... have had enough for one day. It's iconic for a reason.