Mark Zuckerberg's Sunscreen Face

What the photo shows

The photo shows a man standing barefoot on a dark board in the middle of sparkling sea water. He wears a gray-blue long-sleeved shirt and black shorts. In his outstretched right hand he holds a small remote, which, as reported, controls the electric board. He looks toward the camera over his shoulder, and his face is covered in a thick white sunscreen that stands out sharply on his nose, cheekbones and forehead.

Behind him is a dark rocky shore, and the sea glitters with reflections. The contrast between tanned legs and the entirely white face makes the picture look strange, almost like a mask. It is exactly this combination that drew viewers' attention.

Where and when the picture was taken

The photo was reportedly taken in July 2020 off the coast of Kauai in Hawaii, when Zuckerberg was riding an electric hydrofoil board, the so-called eFoil. The photographer was a professional, and the picture spread across the world's media and social networks.

Later, in 2021, during an Instagram livestream with the head of the platform, Adam Mosseri, he explained that he had noticed paparazzi and decided to put on sunscreen as a disguise. He admitted that he did not realize how much sunscreen he had applied until he saw the photo, and added that “I should have thought the plan through better.” He took the jokes about the photo with humor.

What exactly is funny

There are several layers here. The first is pure visual absurdity: a bright white face against the ocean looks unnatural. The second is the self-assured pose: the man stands upright on the board and looks as if everything is under control.

The third layer is the contrast between the image of an IT billionaire and an everyday awkwardness. A public figure who has everything turns out to be in a situation that anyone can recognize from their own experience: overdid the sunscreen. Such jokes are understood by everyone and require no knowledge of technology.

Some jokes rest on the face looking like a mask. But the cause is one and clear: the sunscreen was applied too thickly, and it has nothing to do with the man's own features.

Caption examples

Invented examples, not quotes from social networks.

“Me when Mom said: put on sunscreen properly.” A joke about excessive obedience.

“My Friday at 17:55: one task left, and I'm already in incognito mode.” Disguise as a theme.

“Invisibility strategy: if I don't see anyone, nobody recognises me.” Irony about a plan that the author himself admitted was a failure.

“When I finally found the second tube of sunscreen on the beach.” An everyday version with a note of relief.

How to use it

The picture is best suited to stories about overdoing it: too much sunscreen, too much preparation, too much confidence. The contrast between the serious pose and the white face creates the comic effect.

The “disguise” storyline also works well, since it refers to the man's own words. But the caption should stay good-natured: Zuckerberg himself took the photo with humor, and the joke lives on the situation, not on insults.

For formatting it is enough to place the text above or below, without covering the face: the face is the center of the meme.