An Australian university lecturer's thumb has become the butt of a viral internet joke after social media users began comparing it to a penis.
Stephen Owen, who cut his thumb while cooking for his family, innocently took to Instagram to share his injury.
'My thumb was in that band aid too long,' Mr Owen wrote in the caption.
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Stephen Owen had an image of his injured thumb go viral after social media users compared it to a penis
But instead of questions regarding his recovery and messages of sympathy, the university lecturer found himself being ridiculed by internet users far and wide.
While some Instagramers opted for the subtle option when approaching the subject, asking 'what does it look like though?' while tagging their friends, others took a more overt approach.
'Looks like a penis,' Mrbanana_14 wrote.
Despite his new found fame, Mr Owen is more concerned about the lack of sympathy his battered thumb has received.
The university lecturer, who cut his thumb while cooking for his family, was more concerned about the lack of sympathy he was receiving than his new found fame
He later updated his recently acquired fan base on the status of his thumb, writing 'my thumb is better'
'Why has no one asked if my thumb is ok? You people are all monsters,' he tweeted on Tuesday.
Despite uploading a more recent photo of his thumb to Instagram since the ordeal - captioned 'my thumb is better' - Mr Owen can't seem to leave behind his newly acquired reputation.
'Still looks like a c**k,' neutrongirl replied.
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