That's How You Do It Meme Template

Template Name

That's How You Do It / Why Can't You Like Edison That Much? / Father Slaps Son Simpsons / Dad Hitting Kid Back of Head / Simpsons Unfair Comparison Meme

Origin

This scene originates from the acclaimed animated series The Simpsons, specifically Season 10, Episode 2, titled "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace" (originally broadcast on September 20, 1998).

In the episode, Homer Simpson falls into a severe mid-life crisis and decides to emulate inventor Thomas Edison. Upon discovering Edison already patented a multi-legged reclining chair that Homer thought was his own breakthrough, Homer drives to the Thomas Edison Museum in West Orange, New Jersey, planning to destroy Edison's prototype with an electric hammer.

As Homer and Bart pull up outside, Bart leans out of the car window and shouts, "Alright, the museum's still open!" A father walking past with his family immediately turns to his own boy, yells:

"Why can't you like Edison that much?"

—and delivers a sharp slap to the back of the child's head.

On meme-generation platforms like Imgflip, Rounder Pics, and Reddit (r/MemeTemplatesOfficial, r/TheSimpsons, r/dankmemes), the template was cataloged and popularized under the label "That's how you do it". It evolved into a premier two-entity comparison format illustrating sudden, disproportionate reprimands when someone else sets an impossibly high standard.

Key Vibes

Disproportionate discipline, sudden unfair comparisons, collateral damage, aggressive parenting standards, and getting reprimanded for existing.

Visual Breakdown

• The Father (Left / Center): An adult man with ginger-brown hair wearing a green crewneck t-shirt and blue jeans, scowling with irritation as his arm cocks back mid-strike.
• The Son (Foreground Right): A young boy in a teal short-sleeve shirt and red shorts, cringing forward defensively with clenched teeth and wide, shocked eyes anticipating the impact.
• The Background Setting: An evening scene outside the brick Edison museum under an orange-and-pink sunset sky, with a woman walking along the sidewalk to the far right.
• The Action Staging: Asymmetrical staging where the father's aggressive reach looms over the boy's curled, helpless recoil.

Description Paragraph

The enduring viral presence of the "That's How You Do It" template lies in its blunt depiction of displaced frustration. Bart is just an excited kid yelling from a passing car, but the father immediately converts that stranger's enthusiasm into an indictment of his own son's worth. In meme culture, that sudden smack across the head captures situations where you're minding your own business, only for someone in authority—a parent, manager, or teacher—to witness an exceptional overachiever and instantly turn around to demand why you aren't doing the same.

Popular Caption Ideas

• "Father: My mom watching my cousin get engaged, buy a house, and finish medical school. // Son: Me eating cereal in my pajamas at 2:00 PM."
• "Dad: 'Why can't you study that much?!' // Son: Me just sitting on the couch."
• "Boss: Watching an intern work 14 hours unpaid over the weekend. // Employee: Me logging off at exactly 5:00 PM."
• "Teacher: 'Look how neatly Sarah organized her notes.' // Me: Staring at my illegible notebook scratches."
• "Company seeing another startup cut 50% of its budget: 'That's how you do it.'"