25+ Midwest Memes for Nice Folks Who Say Ope (August 2, 2024)

JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor

Aug 2, 2024 8:00 AM EDT

Midwesterners are famously polite. We will "ope" and "scuse me" and "sorry bout that" our way into heaven. We're like the Canadians of America. What is it about cold temperatures that makes us so mild-mannered? Maybe it's that we know that life is indeed suffering, so the least we can do is make things a little gentler for our fellow men.

Or maybe it's because we're too tired from shoveling snow to work up any real aggression. Not to say we can't be aggressive… if you've ever heard a Midwestern man go "alright there pal," you know you're in for a world of hurt, even if a world of hurt just means a firm but fair talking-to. Or maybe it's because we're too weighed down by dairy products to challenge anyone to fisticuffs. Any way you slice it, we're nice people with good attitudes. No wonder we make such good memes.