Charlie Chaplin invented the 'Distracted Boyfriend' meme 96 years ago

Memes! Who doesn't love them?

You could be forgiven for thinking that they are a relatively new invention, but recent events would suggest otherwise.

Not so long ago, we learnt that memes were possibly invented in the 1920s by the satirical magazine Judge.

It now appears that the 1920s were a hotbed for memes, as one of the biggest movie stars of the era Charlie Chaplin was also at it.

Thanks to a screenshot unearthed by Peter Goldberg from Chaplin's 1922 film Pay Day, it appears that he was the 'Distracted Boyfriend' meme long before anyone else.

The image has since gone viral and it has created memes all of its own and, to be honest, we couldn't be happier.

Just for reference, here is a video of the clip in question.

Other 'Distracted Boyfriend' memes have started to emerge and we are now starting to wonder if memes have been around since the dawn of time.

HT Huffington Post