The Absurd Legacy Of "Thinking About Thos Beans": 5 Ways The Viral Phrase Defined Modern Internet Humor

The simple, misspelled phrase, "I'm thinking about thos beans," has become a foundational pillar of modern internet culture, proving that sometimes, the most nonsensical content holds the deepest comedic value. Originating from a seemingly innocuous Facebook comment in 2015, this four-word catchphrase transcends its literal meaning to represent a core tenet of online absurdist humor, where context is irrelevant and the joke is simply the joke itself. As of late 2024, the meme continues to be referenced, remixed, and shared across platforms like Reddit, TikTok, and Imgur, cementing its status as an iconic piece of digital history that is still very much alive.

The enduring mystery and simple curiosity surrounding the phrase—why beans? why the typo?—is precisely what has kept it relevant for nearly a decade. It's a perfect example of a low-effort, high-impact piece of content that was immediately adopted by the "shitposting" community, evolving from a quirky Facebook screenshot to a widely recognized cultural shorthand for inexplicable thoughts or feelings.

The Unexpected Biography of a Meme: Bill Foster and the Bush's Beans Comment

The story of "I'm thinking about thos beans" is inextricably linked to the man who wrote it: Bill Foster.

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• Full Name: Bill Chadwick Foster
• Date of Birth: 1931 (exact date varies)
• Date of Death: 2021
• Location: Waco, Texas, USA
• Occupation: Former Waco newspaper reporter and later a sales and marketing associate.
• The Viral Event: On July 23, 2015, Bill Foster posted a comment on the official Bush's Baked Beans Facebook page.
• The Original Comment: "I'm thinking about thos beans" (with the intentional or accidental misspelling of "those" as "thos").
• Source of Virality: The comment was quickly screenshotted and shared to the popular r/oldpeoplefacebook subreddit, where its charm and oddity propelled it into the mainstream.
• Legacy: Foster became an unwitting, beloved internet celebrity, and his comment is often cited as a perfect example of wholesome, accidental internet gold. Tributes in his 2021 obituary even referenced his famous "beans post."

Bill Foster's simple, misspelled thought became a global phenomenon, a testament to the unpredictable nature of viral content. The phrase's power lies in its lack of a clear punchline, inviting endless interpretation.

5 Ways "Thos Beans" Defined the Absurdist Era of Internet Humor

The "beans" meme didn't just go viral; it became a template for a new kind of online comedy. It is a cornerstone of what internet historians now call the Absurdist Era of memes, a style of humor that thrives on the bizarre, the non-sequitur, and the intentionally confusing.

1. The Triumph of Nonsense and Shitposting

The primary function of "I'm thinking about thos beans" is shitposting—the act of posting deliberately provocative, low-effort, or irrelevant content to derail a conversation or simply for the sake of absurdity. The phrase is a perfect non-sequitur. When someone posts an image of a seemingly unrelated object, and the caption is "I'm thinking about thos beans," the humor comes from the jarring lack of connection. It forces the viewer to find a meaning that isn't there, which is the core mechanic of absurdist comedy.

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2. The Birth of the "Beans" Sub-Genre

Foster's comment wasn't an isolated event; it spawned an entire sub-genre of bean-related memes. These derivative works solidified the meme's topical authority around the legume. Key examples include:

• Beans in Places They Shouldn't Be: Memes featuring baked beans poured into inappropriate containers or locations, such as movie theaters, cars, or bathtubs.
• "This Nigga Eating Beans": A separate but related meme that often intersects with the "thos beans" context.
• Beanscover: A portmanteau of "Beans" and "Discovery," often used to tag new, bizarre bean-related content.

This expansion proved that the joke was no longer about Bill Foster or Bush's Beans, but about the inherent comedic value of the word "beans" itself in an ironic context.

3. A Cross-Platform Cultural Shorthand

The meme's longevity is due to its adaptability. Originally a Facebook screenshot, it quickly moved to Reddit and Imgur, where it gained traction among early meme communities. Today, the phrase is still used on TikTok and Instagram as a caption for videos or images that evoke a feeling of random, deep contemplation or inexplicable hunger. The intentional misspelling ("thos") has become a signature element, instantly signaling a specific brand of ironic, self-aware internet humor to those "in the loop."

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4. The Connection to Gen Z Humor

The Absurdist Era is often associated with Gen Z humour, which frequently utilizes irony, deep-fried images, and a rejection of traditional joke structures. "Thinking about thos beans" perfectly fits this mold. It is a joke that is simultaneously private (only funny to those who understand the context of ironic detachment) and public (a widely recognized template). The humor is in the shared, collective understanding that the phrase means nothing, yet means everything.

5. Influence on Streamer Culture and Vinesauce

The meme's reach extended into gaming and streaming culture. The popular streamer Vinny from Vinesauce, known for his surreal and chaotic commentary, frequently referenced or created variations of the "been thinking about those beans" phrase, exposing it to a new generation of viewers and helping to keep the joke relevant long after its initial 2015 spike.

The Enduring Relevance of the Bean Meme in 2024 and Beyond

Even as the internet constantly churns out new viral content, the "thinking about thos beans" meme maintains a quiet but powerful presence. Its legacy is not just in its humor, but in its ability to predict the future of online comedy.

In the current digital landscape, the concept of "beans" continues to be a source of viral content, though often in non-ironic ways that ironically circle back to the original meme's absurdity. For instance, the recent TikTok "Bean Protocol" trend, which advocates for eating two cups of beans daily for health benefits, gained massive traction, showing that the humble legume is still a powerhouse of online discussion, whether for health or for humor.

The phrase is no longer a specific reference to Bill Foster's comment; it has become a meta-meme—a joke about the nature of memes themselves. It represents the collective memory of the internet, a nostalgic nod to a simpler time when a misspelled comment on a brand's Facebook page could become a global phenomenon. It’s a reminder that on the internet, the most profound thoughts are often the most random, and the most enduring legacies are built on nothing more than a simple, earnest contemplation of a can of baked beans.

So, the next time you find yourself scrolling through social media and a random, inexplicable thought crosses your mind, remember Bill Foster. You, too, might just be thinking about thos beans.