Most things are a lot more enjoyable when you understand their context. A meme from The Mandalorian featuring Grogu (or Baby Yoda) will be a lot funnier if you’ve actually seen the show, and reading a reference to song lyrics online will make much more sense if you know the song. (Do you believe in life after love?)
However, a lack of context makes some rare and beautiful images even more special. Below, you’ll find some of our favorite pics from the Nah.Context Instagram account, which shares hilarious and cursed photos without any explanation. So enjoy scrolling through these - sometimes weird pics that make as much sense to us as they will to you, and be sure to upvote the images that speak to you!
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If you’ve been a panda scrolling through this site for a while, you’re likely familiar with the concept of cursed, no context images. And one thing about this genre of photos on the internet is that there is endless content to be found. So if you’re a connoisseur of bizarre, silly and eyebrow-raising photos, we’ve got the perfect list for you.
The Nah.Context Instagram account describes itself simply, noting that it shares “inexplicable content.” Yet, clearly, that’s enough. Because the page has amassed an impressive 23k followers since its creation in June 2020. This account is a perfect place to allow photos to speak for themselves, and it has shared over 420 photos that do just that.
You never know what you’re going to find when you follow an account like Nah.Context (or scroll through a list like this), but the content is guaranteed to be entertaining. There are plenty of cursed image and no context pic trends that have circulated around the internet, and recently, one subgenre of this that’s gained immense popularity is the "no context screenshot" from a film or TV show.
Shephali Bhatt wrote a piece for Mint diving into the world of no context screenshots where she explained that hundreds of dedicated no context accounts have popped up on social media over the past couple of years. “Most ‘no context’ accounts are made by fans of globally popular shows past and present, with the express intent of finding and engaging with other fans of the show in order to relish the good parts and keep them alive in everyone’s memory,” Bhatt writes.
Basically what we do in Germany - bringing back empty bottles and cans gives you back a deposit you made on the purchase
These no context screenshots often go viral on social media simply because fans love reliving a moment, or because they can perfectly be turned into memes that are relevant to real world scenarios. One example of this was when the creator of No Context Succession on X posted a screenshot of the character Tom saying, “What a weird family,” as a reaction to Oprah’s interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in March of 2022.
"Welcome to Radio Shack, what can I find for you today". Yeah, I'll need 2 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD size batteries.
The photos featured on Nah.Context have another component to them that not all no context pics have: the element of being cursed. Cursed images have also been occupying a lot of space on the internet in recent years, as many of us can’t help but be captivated by bizarre or unsettling photos of raw meat in ice cream cones and people drinking what appears to be hand sanitizer.
If you’re wondering what makes for the perfect cursed image that you’ll want to respond to with a “chef’s kiss,” Már Másson Maack at The Next Web has broken down some of the tried and true ways of nailing cursed image photography. First, he mentions the idea of defamiliarization, or presenting common things in an uncommon way. Putting food in the toilet or a dog in the driver’s seat of a car might be a couple of ways to hit this mark.
Damn! Beat my record by 12 days and 11 hours, 32 minutes and 6 seconds
Lighting is also a very powerful tool in photography, and flash photography in particular tends to be very unforgiving to subjects. A bright flash might cause the photo to have more of a “film” look, which can also give the illusion that the picture is from the past or capturing something that was supposed to be hidden in the dark. Play around with lighting to see how cursed you can make objects or subjects appear.
Another idea Maack suggests for creating a cursed image is to recast food as a “reminder of mortality and lack of agency.” He explains that unappealing images of food can cause a visceral reaction if we’re disgusted, but they can also remind us that we need food to survive.
“Food crosses the boundaries of our bodies and we’re sickeningly dependent on it, reminding us we’re never fully in control of our surroundings or an independent force in this world,” Maack explains. “It also shines a light on how ashamed we are of our bodily functions (probably some Freudian [stuff]) as they poke a hole in the lie we constantly tell ourselves that we’re completely cerebral beings, above the filthiness surrounding the lives of animals.”
As if that would work properly! - He needs fins at the end of the shovel to stabilize it or it won't make it that far
No matter what kind of cursed images you enjoy the most, or the least, there’s always going to be something that will grab your attention. Perhaps an image of a cat running through the night with seemingly glowing eyes will leave you lying awake tonight, or a photo of toes holding a soup spoon will make you less interested in your lunch tomorrow afternoon. But I’m sure you can find something on this list that you can’t look away from, whether you want to understand the photo or not.
We hope you’re enjoying scrolling through these bizarre yet quite entertaining images, pandas. Whether you understand how any of them came about or not, as long as you’re able to enjoy them for the cursed artwork that they are, we’re happy. Keep upvoting the pics that you find particularly amusing or confusing, and then if you’re interested in checking out even more images without any context, we recommend this Bored Panda article next!
After picking this baby up at the auction, I'm not taking any chances.
i think its a little too small- the meat i mean. edit: guys i didnt even know what i said until you said that 😭
I don't see anything wrong with this picture. Just a guy in a blue suit holding a phone.
Than, how do you explain a green, free-floating hat???
Load More Replies...That's no infant! That's a full grown adult! So I guess it makes it "Heavy Adultery"
Load More Replies...The people there are in poverty while he lives 'high as a hog'. Oh, 'high on the hog'!
"Hey Sarge, as long as they make uniforms big enough for me, I'm fit for duty!"
I want my babyback babyback babyback riiiiibs. Chilliiiiii babyback ribs.
these are some of the most randomest things ive never thought id ever see. kudos.
these are some of the most randomest things ive never thought id ever see. kudos.