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CultureQuiet 4d · day 4

Bluesky's "emotional support monkey" post becomes a cathartic pile-on

A single line about needing a monkey "until this Shit Show is over" drew thousands of engagements and a comment thread full of coping-mechanism confessions.

What to know

  • A single Bluesky post about needing an "emotional support monkey" amid "this Shit Show" gathered nearly 4,000 likes and 72 comments.
  • The reply thread became a shared, humorous catalogue of personal coping mechanisms — comfort food, stuffed animals, pillow forts.
  • A minority of replies made explicit the political subtext, linking the "Shit Show" to fatigue with U.S. politics and joking about "the orangutan in the White House."
most voices

People embrace the humor, naming their own comfort objects or coping rituals in solidarity.

  • “I have a bag of little bite size pieces of Parmesan….. it’s my emotional support cheese….. does that work?”

    charlieharry.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
some voices

The "Shit Show" is understood as a reference to current U.S. politics, and the monkey imagery gets tied to that.

  • “We already have an orangutan in the White House.”

    smbryantdj.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
some voices

Others respond with nostalgic or sentimental stories about long-held stuffed animals rather than engaging with any political meaning.

  • “This little buddy has been with me since 1955 ❤️”

    canukbisonguy.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗

putawomanincharge.bsky.social Original poster

Bluesky's "emotional support monkey" post becomes a cathartic pile-on
bsky.app

How it unfolded 5 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump postscomments

Peak 6 pieces in one hour at Sep 20, 2 PM; 29 pieces over 4 days (1 post · 28 comments) Sep 20, 9 AM — 2 pieces · 1 post · 1 comment — Bluesky 2Sep 20, 10 AM — 4 pieces · 4 comments — Bluesky 4Sep 20, 11 AM — 2 pieces · 2 comments — Bluesky 2Sep 20, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Bluesky 1Sep 20, 1 PM — 5 pieces · 5 comments — Bluesky 5Sep 20, 2 PM — 6 pieces · 6 comments — Bluesky 6Sep 20, 3 PM — 2 pieces · 2 comments — Bluesky 2Sep 20, 4 PM — 3 pieces · 3 comments — Bluesky 3Sep 20, 5 PM — 4 pieces · 4 comments — Bluesky 4Sep 20, 6 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 8 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — quietSep 20, 10 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 12 AM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 4 AM — quietSep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quiet 1–45
Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 9:55 AM ET
  1. 5

    Thread settles into nostalgic and sentimental replies

    By late evening, comments shift toward sentimental stories about long-held stuffed monkeys and pets, with the thread continuing to accumulate replies through the day.

    “This little buddy has been with me since 1955 ❤️…”
    — canukbisonguy.bsky.social
    • This little buddy has been with me since 1955 ❤️

      canukbisonguy.bsky.socialBluesky3d ago3▲view on Bluesky ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 10 posts in this stretch
    • Awww, he’s so cute I could cry!! Sweet baby!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

      disgustedinky.bsky.socialBluesky3d ago2▲view on Bluesky ↗
    • I've always thought "Shitshow" was one word? It felt so right, but it did kinda look wrong? No auto correct for it 😞

      nobodyiseveryone.bsky.socialBluesky3d ago1▲view on Bluesky ↗
    all of them →
  2. 4

    Commenters tie the "Shit Show" to political fatigue

    Some replies make the underlying political subtext explicit, referencing distrust of an "orangutan in the White House" and general suspicion of monkeys after that association.

    “We already have an orangutan in the White House.”
    — smbryantdj.bsky.social
    • Too cute. Sometimes lately, I feel like I need a monkey.

      docpsych.bsky.socialBluesky3d ago2▲view on Bluesky ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 13 posts in this stretch
    • How precious & adorable your cutey is! Your precious that it is, the monkey is just cute. My precious Huckleberry a Yorkie was given one of those monkeys on his 1st Christmas, and that monkey is very well loved And all the squeaky's are blown out, and I'm replacing the squeakers.

      takaanieyes.bsky.socialBluesky3d ago1▲view on Bluesky ↗
    • When I watch the news or videos of the day's events, I build a fort like my kids used to do. I surround myself with stacks of throw pillows and cover myself with an afghan to protect myself from evil vapors given off by my TV or phone. So far so good.

      igottamambo.bsky.socialBluesky3d ago1▲view on Bluesky ↗
    all of them →
  3. 3

    Thread expands into a wider swap of coping objects

    Commenters list their own emotional-support items — Parmesan cheese, dog toys, pillow forts, sock monkeys — turning the post into a shared catalogue of coping mechanisms.

    “I have a bag of little bite size pieces of Parmesan….. it’s my emotional support cheese….. does that work?”
    — charlieharry.bsky.social
    • I have a bag of little bite size pieces of Parmesan….. it’s my emotional support cheese….. does that work?

      charlieharry.bsky.socialBluesky3d ago12▲view on Bluesky ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 4 posts in this stretch
    • putawomanincharge.bsky.social

      Yeth. I am from Wisconsin so cheese works.

      putawomanincharge.bsky.socialBluesky3d ago8▲view on Bluesky ↗
    • Everybody's got something to hide. Except for me and my monkey.

      savage-t.bsky.socialBluesky3d ago4▲view on Bluesky ↗
    all of them →
  4. 2

    Early replies wish for their own "support monkey"

    Within the first half hour, commenters begin echoing the sentiment, wishing they had a similar comfort object.

    “I wish I had a support monkey right about now... 🍌…”
    — psych6.bsky.social
    • I wish I had a support monkey right about now... 🍌

      psych6.bsky.socialBluesky3d ago6▲view on Bluesky ↗
  5. 1

    putawomanincharge posts the "emotional support monkey" line

    The original Bluesky post, accompanied presumably by an image of a small monkey (stuffed or real, unspecified in text), states everyone needs one to get through "this Shit Show," and quickly accumulates thousands of likes.

    “We all need a monkey until this Shit Show is over.”
    — putawomanincharge.bsky.social

What people are saying 13 voices from 1 site · best of 29 · verbatim