The 'Short Message' meme is derived from a popular series of Dutch commercials for Royco Cup-A-Soup, which featured an eccentric office boss known for his extremely brief and often blunt communication style. The specific template captures the moment the boss holds up a tiny slip of paper containing a concise, sometimes soul-crushing message. It became a viral sensation as a perfect visual metaphor for corporate micro-management, cold professional feedback, or delivering 'truth bombs' in a sarcastic manner. Today, the meme is widely used across social media to highlight harsh realities or common workplace grievances through the lens of dry, office-based humor.