The Obama Medal meme, also known as Obama Awarding Obama, features a photoshopped image of the 44th U.S. President placing a Medal of Freedom around his own neck. The original photo dates back to 2016 when Obama presented the real award to comedian Ellen DeGeneres. The edited version first gained massive traction on social media around 2019 as a humorous way to illustrate someone congratulating themselves for a minor achievement or blatantly praising their own actions. It has since become the definitive visual shorthand for self-praise and ironic arrogance across the internet.