Wardy Joubert III (August 30, 1971 – December 11, 2016), known as Wood, was an American preacher, football coach, and subject of an

internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...

that has circulated since 2012.

Biography

Joubert was born on August 30, 1971, in San Francisco. He gained the nickname "Wood" as a kid while playing baseball. After high school he became a semi-pro arena football player. He worked as a football coach and as a deacon at the St. Paul Tabernacle Baptist Church in San Francisco. In 2010 he took part in having erotic imagery taken of him as a side profession, ostensibly to make ends meet during tough financial times. Joubert died of a heart attack in 2016 at the age of 45.

Meme

In 2009, Joubert modeled for a nude photo while sitting on a bed. This photo was published to the internet. A photoshopped version garnered attention for the morphed size of Joubert's penis. The meme, called "Wood Sitting on a Bed" was subsequently shared on websites such as

4chan 4chan is an anonymous English-language imageboard website. Launched by Christopher "moot" Poole in October 2003, the site hosts boards dedicated to a wide variety of topics, from anime and manga to video games, cooking, weapons, television, ...

and Reddit in 2012. In 2020, the meme resurfaced as part of a COVID-19 prank, whereby the photo was shared on WhatsApp under the guise of being an alert related to the virus. On Reddit, a subreddit appeared under the name "r/barrywood" where users can upload newly created memes. The page contains a link to a GoFundMe page that was created after Joubert's death in 2016 to help with funeral expenses. On May 27, 2020, an update was added to the GoFundMe page stating that new donations would be used for "boxed lunches and hygiene packs daily to families without housing in San Francisco. This is a cause that was very near and dear to Wardy's heart and we would like to keep up the good work and tradition of helping the person next to you without judgement." Some companies, including

Barstool Sports Barstool Sports is an American blog website and digital media company headquartered in New York City that produces content on sports and pop culture. Founded by David Portnoy in 2003 in Milton, Massachusetts, the company's two primary owners are ...

and comedian

Tom Segura Thomas Weston Segura (born April 16, 1979) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, author, actor, and podcaster. Segura co-hosts the ''Your Mom's House'' podcast with his wife and fellow comedian Christina Pazsitzky. Segura also co-hosts the p ...

, began to merchandise the photo by selling clothing with his image. Proceeds went to Joubert’s family. In May 2020, WIN News in

Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. Within months of Vic ...

accidentally broadcast a photoshopped video which included the photo of Joubert. On February 1, 2022, an advertising magazine, ''Community Connections'', was mailed out that included a full page ad for Chiaro's Pizza & Restaurant in Bucks County Pennsylvania that had the infamous photo as the latte art of a cup of cappuccino. The family restaurant deeply apologized for it slipping past their and the magazine's proofreaders.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joubert, Wardy 1971 births 2016 deaths Internet memes Internet memes introduced in 2020