What Does Sancho Call the Spiders? The Viral Meme Explained
If you've spent any time on Twitter, TikTok, or Reddit in the past few years, you've probably seen it. Someone posts a picture of a spider, and the comments section explodes with "What do you call those?" followed by a chorus of "Spiders." It's one of those absurd internet jokes that somehow became universally funny — the kind of thing that makes you laugh even though you know it's completely ridiculous.
It sounds simple, but the gap is usually here.
But where did this come from? And why does it feel like everyone on the internet decided to talk about spiders at the same time?
The answer is a surprisingly wholesome moment from a DC superhero movie that got turned into one of the most enduring memes of the 2020s Worth keeping that in mind..
What Is the "Sancho Spiders" Meme?
Here's the short version: in the 2021 film The Suicide Squad, there's a character named Polka-Dot Man (played by Abubakar Salim) who has a somewhat awkward exchange about spiders with his teammate Bloodsport (Idris Elba). Think about it: the meme format that went viral is simple — someone posts an image of a spider, and the caption or comment is "What do you call those? " The punchline is always "Spiders Small thing, real impact. Surprisingly effective..
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But here's where it gets confusing for people who haven't seen the movie. Think about it: polka-Dot Man's real name in the comics is Abner Krill. In the movie, he's just referred to as "Polka-Dot Man" or "Abner.And the character isn't actually named Sancho — that's a different confusion that popped up online. " The "Sancho" mix-up likely comes from people mishearing dialogue or just the chaos of internet word-of-mouth spreading details slightly wrong.
The meme works because of the deadpan delivery in the movie. Bloodsport looks at Polka-Dot Man like he's absolutely lost his mind for asking such an obvious question. The humor is in the absurdity — everyone knows what a spider is, but the character asks like he's never seen one before Practical, not theoretical..
The Actual Movie Scene
In The Suicide Squad, Polka-Dot Man is one of the more unusual members of the task force. He's got powers related to the polka-dot pattern (long story), and he's also just a bit socially awkward. During a moment in the film, he points at some spiders and asks what they're called, as if he's genuinely uncertain.
Bloodsport's response is exactly what you'd expect: "Spiders."
That's it. That's the whole bit. But for some reason, it became comedy gold for the internet.
Why the Meme Went Viral
Here's what makes this particular meme stick around when so many others fade away. It's low-effort, universally applicable, and genuinely funny every single time.
Think about it. That said, " and you've instantly got a joke that thousands of people will understand and laugh at. You post it with "What do you call those?You don't need to reference a specific scene, explain the character's backstory, or make sure the other person has seen the movie. Also, you see a spider in your bathroom. Consider this: you take a picture. Everyone gets it.
The meme also works because it's self-aware. People using it know it's a stupid joke. Consider this: that's part of the appeal. You're not trying to be clever — you're participating in a collective bit that everyone is in on.
How People Use It Online
The format has evolved a few different ways:
- The straightforward version: Someone posts a spider picture with "What do you call those?" and the replies say "Spiders."
- The variation: People use it for other obviously-named things too, but the spider version is the original and most popular.
- The reaction format: Someone will comment "What do you call those?" under any spider-related post, even if it's not a meme post, just to be funny.
It's the kind of thing that shows up in your feed regularly if you spend time on social media. It's become a cultural touchstone the way "This is fine" or "Distracted Boyfriend" are — a meme so simple it transcends specific internet subcultures.
Why People Love This Meme
There's something oddly endearing about a joke that's so dumb it circles back around to being brilliant. Still, the "What do you call those? " meme doesn't require you to understand complex lore or reference specific moments. It's pure, distilled silliness.
It also helps that the movie itself was a bit of a surprise hit. The Suicide Squad came out during the pandemic, had a messy release strategy (it went to streaming and theaters simultaneously), and yet still managed to create some genuine cultural moments. Polka-Dot Man became a fan favorite despite — or maybe because of — his weird powers and awkward personality.
The spider question became the defining moment for the character in terms of internet memory. Even people who didn't love the movie or don't care about superhero films have seen this meme. That's the power of a good, simple joke.
The Character Behind the Meme
Polka-Dot Man deserves more credit than he gets. Abubakar Salim played the character with a kind of earnest weirdness that made him memorable. He's not the toughest guy on the team, he's not the funniest, but he's definitely the most confused about basic things Easy to understand, harder to ignore..
In an interview, Abubakar Salim has talked about how surprised he was that this particular moment became a meme. He seems genuinely pleased that something so small from the movie resonated with so many people. That's the dream for any actor — to be part of something that makes millions of people laugh, even if it's not the scene you expected to be famous.
Common Misunderstandings
A few things tend to get mixed up when people talk about this meme:
"Sancho" isn't the character's name. This is probably the most common error. Polka-Dot Man is Abner Krill. There's no "Sancho" in the movie that anyone can identify. The mix-up is one of those internet telephone moments where details just got slightly scrambled as the meme spread And that's really what it comes down to..
It's not a quote from the exact scene. The meme format is inspired by the movie, but it's not a direct quote. The movie moment is Polka-Dot Man asking about spiders, but the exact phrasing "What do you call those?" became the meme template rather than a transcript of what was said. Internet culture took the inspiration and ran with it.
The character isn't afraid of spiders. He's just... confused about them? The joke isn't that he's scared — it's that he doesn't seem to know what they are, which is absurd The details matter here..
How to Use the Meme Yourself
If you want to participate in the bit, here's how it works in practice:
- Find a spider (in real life, in a picture, anywhere)
- Post it with "What do you call those?"
- Wait for the replies saying "Spiders"
That's it. You've now contributed to internet culture. Congratulations Nothing fancy..
You can also just comment "What do you call those?It's flexible. " on someone else's spider post. The beauty of this meme is that it doesn't require any effort or creativity on your part — you're just joining in on something everyone already understands.
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FAQ
Is "Sancho" actually in The Suicide Squad?
No. In real terms, there's no character named Sancho in the movie. The character is Polka-Dot Man, played by Abubakar Salim. The "Sancho" confusion seems to have spread as the meme traveled across the internet, with people misremembering or mishearing details Less friction, more output..
What does Polka-Dot Man actually call spiders?
In the movie, he asks what they are, and Bloodsport tells him they're "spiders." So the answer is — everyone calls them spiders. That's the whole joke.
Why is this meme so popular?
It's simple, universal, and requires no context to understand. You see a spider, you make the joke, everyone laughs. It's the perfect low-effort meme format Simple, but easy to overlook..
Is this the only meme from The Suicide Squad?
It's the most enduring one, but there are others. Here's the thing — the movie had several memorable moments. Polka-Dot Man's spider question just happened to be the one that stuck in the biggest way.
Did the actor know this would become a meme?
Abubakar Salim has mentioned being surprised and flattered that the moment became so popular. He seems to genuinely appreciate that something small from his performance became such a widely-remembered joke The details matter here..
The Bottom Line
The "What do you call those?" spider meme is one of those weird internet moments that just works. Here's the thing — everyone knows what a spider is. It came from a DC movie that not everyone saw, but the joke itself is so simple that it doesn't matter whether you've seen the film or not. Everyone can laugh at the absurdity of pretending otherwise.
That's the magic of certain memes — they transcend their source material and become something everyone can participate in. You don't need to have seen the movie. You don't need to understand the lore. You just need to know what a spider is, and that's enough to be in on the joke Most people skip this — try not to..
Short version: it depends. Long version — keep reading.
So the next time you see a spider — in your house, in a picture, anywhere — you now have options. You could scream. Think about it: you could try to catch it. Or you could take a picture, post it online, and ask the most important question of our time: "What do you call those?
And someone, somewhere, will reply: "Spiders."
It's a beautiful cycle Practical, not theoretical..
