15+ Reasons Why People Say "No Thank You, The Ocean": The Viral Meme And The Psychology Of Thalassophobia

The phrase "No Thank You, The Ocean" has transcended its origins as a niche comedy bit to become a widely recognized cultural shorthand for the existential dread and humorous aversion many people feel toward the terrifying unknown of the deep sea. As of December 15, 2025, this simple, absurdly phrased statement—notably including the definite article "The"—is one of the most popular running gags from the Dropout streaming platform, perfectly capturing the spirit of thalassophobia and the bizarre realities of marine biology.

The meme’s power lies in its polite, yet firm rejection of the vast, dark, and crushing world beneath the waves, a world that we have explored less than the surface of Mars. It’s a collective, comedic recoil from the reality that the ocean is full of unfathomable entities and terrifying facts that make a simple swim feel like a risk against nature itself. This article dives into the phrase's origin and the scientific entities that prove the sentiment is completely justified.

The Origin Story: Rekha Shankar and the Dropout Phenomenon

The viral phrase "No Thank You, The Ocean" originated on the Dropout streaming service, home to numerous popular comedy shows. It is directly tied to the series Smartypants, a show where comedians deliver absurdly researched and hilarious PowerPoint presentations on random topics.

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Biography: Rekha Shankar—The Comedic Mind Behind the Meme

The phrase's power comes from the delivery and context provided by its originator, comedian and writer Rekha Shankar.

• Born: April 3, 1990
• Occupation: Comedian, Writer, Actress, Video Editor
• Notable Work: Host of Dropout's Smartypants, writer for NBC's Grand Crew, staff writer for Comedy Central's Digman!, and work on Dimension 20 and Game Changer.
• Origin of Phrase: Shankar delivered the now-legendary presentation, "No Thank You, The Ocean," which was so impactful it became a running gag, a popular merchandise item (Pin of the Month in August '24), and a standalone clip with thousands of views.

The presentation itself, likely from Season 1, Episode 5 of Smartypants, cemented the phrase in the lexicon of comedy fans. Shankar's ability to blend genuine, well-researched facts with a comedic, existential dread perfectly encapsulated the feeling of thalassophobia for a new generation of internet users. The inclusion of the definite article—"The Ocean"—lends the phrase an air of formal, slightly exasperated rejection, as if addressing a demanding, sentient entity.

Thalassophobia: The Psychology of Saying "No Thank You"

The reason the phrase resonates so deeply is its connection to thalassophobia, the intense and persistent fear of deep bodies of water, such as the ocean, deep lakes, or even swimming pools. This is not just a fear of drowning, but a fear of what lies beneath the surface—the vastness, the darkness, and the unknown.

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The ocean is the ultimate representation of the unknown. Over 80% of the ocean remains unmapped and unexplored, meaning that for every known creature, there could be dozens of unseen entities lurking in the abyssal zone and beyond. This lack of control and the sheer scale of the environment are the psychological triggers that the meme taps into. When a terrifying new deep-sea discovery is made, the only logical response for a thalassophobe, or anyone with a healthy fear of the dark depths, is a polite but firm, "No Thank You, The Ocean."

The fear is often compounded by the immense pressure of the deep, where the water column presses down with the weight of multiple elephants per square inch, and the complete absence of light, creating a world of pure, unblinking blackness. This is the realm of the hadal zone, a place where human intervention is almost impossible and the creatures that live there are truly alien.

The Deep-Sea Entities That Justify the Rejection

To fully understand why so many people are on the "No Thank You, The Ocean" team, one must look at the actual terrifying marine entities that science has confirmed exist. These creatures and facts are the physical evidence for the collective existential dread of the ocean depths. Here are over 15 entities and facts that prove the phrase is a rational response:

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Unsettling Deep-Sea Creatures (The Unwanted Guests)

The deep ocean, particularly below the bathypelagic zone, is a gallery of biological nightmares. These creatures have evolved to thrive in darkness and crushing pressure, resulting in forms that defy terrestrial logic.

• Anglerfish: Famous for its bioluminescent lure, the female's appearance is unsettling, but the male's mating ritual is worse: he permanently fuses his body to the female, becoming a permanent, parasitic sperm donor.
• Frilled Shark: Often described as a living fossil, this serpent-like shark has a mouth full of 300 trident-shaped teeth and looks like something pulled from a medieval bestiary.
• Viperfish: Possessing needle-like teeth so long they don't fit inside its mouth, the viperfish is one of the most ferocious-looking predators of the deep.
• Giant Siphonophore: Not a single animal, but a colony of thousands of individual zooids (clones) that can reach lengths of over 130 feet, making it one of the longest organisms on Earth—a true, terrifying single entity of the deep.
• Goblin Shark: With a distinctive, elongated snout and a jaw that can shoot forward to snatch prey, this pinkish, rarely seen shark is a biological oddity.
• Giant or Colossal Squid: These massive cephalopods are legendary for their size, with eyes the size of dinner plates and colossal tentacles, reminding us of the true scale of ocean life.
• Blobfish: While often portrayed as a sad, gelatinous creature, its form on the surface is a result of decompression; in its natural, high-pressure habitat, it is a formidable, strange entity.
• Vampire Squid from Hell: Despite its dramatic name, this small cephalopod is a deep-sea survivor whose cloak-like webbing and red eyes evoke a gothic horror.

Terrifying Ocean Facts and Phenomena (The Unwanted Realities)

Beyond the creatures, the sheer physics and scale of the ocean present facts that are equally unsettling, providing a solid foundation for the "No Thank You" sentiment.

• The Mariana Trench: The deepest part of the ocean, the Challenger Deep, is nearly 7 miles deep. If Mount Everest were placed in the trench, its peak would still be over a mile underwater.
• Unseen Pressure: At the bottom of the trench, the pressure is over 1,000 times that at sea level, enough to crush almost any object instantly.
• The Megalodon's Tooth: Teeth from the extinct, massive shark, the Megalodon, are still found on the ocean floor, a chilling reminder of the marine predators that once ruled the waves.
• Oceanic Dead Zones: Areas of the ocean where oxygen levels are so low that most marine life cannot survive, growing larger due to pollution and climate change.
• The Abyssal Plain: A vast, flat, and dark expanse covering more than half of the planet's surface, a true, featureless void.
• Deep-Sea Gigantism: Many deep-sea creatures, such as the Giant Isopod (a huge, aquatic roly-poly), grow to enormous sizes due to limited resources and cold temperatures, making the familiar suddenly monstrous.
• The Sound of the Sea: The ocean is not silent. It is filled with the strange, low-frequency sounds of whales, tectonic shifts, and, famously, the unexplained "Bloop" sound, which was louder than any known animal.

The enduring popularity of the phrase "No Thank You, The Ocean" is a testament to the power of comedy to process collective anxiety. It acknowledges the unsettling nature of our planet's largest, least-understood habitat while offering a humorous, modern-day shield against the very real dangers of the deep. Whether you suffer from thalassophobia or simply appreciate a good meme, the phrase remains the perfect, succinct summary of the feeling: We respect your vastness, we acknowledge your mysteries, but we will politely observe from the shore. Thank you, but no, thank you, The Ocean.