The 'They Shrank His Shoulders, Made Him Look Soft' meme originated from a post on the r/TheLastOfUs2 subreddit following the release of promotional material for 'The Last of Us Part II'. A user criticized a comparison of Joel Miller’s character model from the first game to the sequel, claiming he appeared less masculine. The hyper-specific and seemingly desperate nature of the critique quickly became a target for mockery across Twitter and Reddit. Today, the phrase is used ironically to satirize gamers who complain about minor aesthetic changes in characters or to jokingly critique anything that appears slightly different than its original form, turning a moment of serious fan outrage into a long-lasting internet inside joke.