VDMs

VDMs, short for Vie de merde (life of crap), describe brief anecdotes about everyday misfortunes that are relatable and often humorous. They are closely associated with the French-language website Vie de merde (VDM), which hosts user-submitted posts in which authors recount a moment of personal bad luck or embarrassment. A typical post begins with Aujourd'hui, or Today in English, and ends with the abbreviation VDM, signaling the punchline of the mishap.

Format and style: Posts are concise, usually one or two sentences, featuring a setup and an ironic or playful twist. The community votes on submissions, and popular entries are featured on the site and frequently shared on social media, contributing to the spread of the VDM meme across languages and platforms.

Origins: The concept emerged in France in the late 2000s with the creation of the Vie de merde site. The term VDM entered broader internet culture and is used outside the site to label similar humor about everyday misfortune.

Impact and variations: Beyond the site, VDM memes appear on blogs, forums, and networks in several languages. The genre has influenced other formats that emphasize brief personal anecdotes about embarrassing or unfortunate incidents. Critics note that some posts rely on humiliation or trivialize misfortune, while supporters view them as lighthearted, self-deprecating humor.

See also: Vie de merde; List of internet memes.