Finally… relief from the heat. And mild third-degree burns.

Sepia-toned steampunk illustration of a Victorian street in a heatwave. A man in a top hat pushes a huge steam-powered cooling fan, releasing clouds of steam. A woman nearby shields her eyes from the sun, while another man uses the hot steam to heat a teacup. Caption reads: “Finally… relief from the heat. And mild third-degree burns.”

This meme pokes fun at the extremes people go to to stay cool during a heatwave — but through a steampunk lens. In place of a simple fan or air conditioner, the Victorian gentleman proudly wheels a massive steam-powered “cooling” device through the sweltering street. The joke lies in the fact that such a machine, while impressive, would make things worse by pumping out clouds of hot steam. The caption — “Finally… relief from the heat. And mild third-degree burns.” — delivers the punchline by highlighting the absurdity and unintended consequences of overengineered solutions.