Bait-and-switch humor has long been a fundamental element of comedy: set an expectation, then flip it on its head. This traditional technique is making a comeback on X.

Users are inventively utilizing profile banners. The initial setup frequently starts with a post discussing challenges in cropping or formatting an image. Yet, when you check their profile, the banner discloses something completely different — generally a joke that either subverts the initial image or transforms it into a punchline.

This isn’t a fresh joke. As noted by Know Your Meme, it goes back to at least 2019, originating with a woman sharing side-by-side pictures of herself and her boyfriend, inquiring how to fit both into her header. The humor faded for some time but resurfaced in 2023 when users began uploading pictures of trash cans, only for the cropped banner to unveil the individual they were labeling as “trash.”

For example, one Lions enthusiast shared about attempting to crop an image of rookie wide receiver Issac TeSlaa. Click through, and the banner isn’t TeSlaa at all — it’s a goat, signifying he’s the “GOAT” (greatest of all time). That’s the formula: a visual bait-and-switch that enables individuals to categorize a person, team, or film — whether legendary or awful — without directly saying it.

The trend has notably gained momentum on Sports Twitter, where fans utilize it to commend players or ridicule competing teams.

However, it’s not limited to sports — Stan Twitter has embraced it as well, although often in a more laid-back style. In those communities, the “bad crop” is less about a clever reveal and more about deliberately sloppy formatting, heightened just for enjoyment. Like many viral Twitter jokes, it ebbs and flows in popularity — and it’s currently enjoying another spike.