Marines do not literally eat crayons. The idea that "Marines eat crayons" is a humorous and self-deprecating meme or stereotype that emerged around 2010 in the U.S. military community. It plays on the longstanding joke that Marines are tough but not very intellectually sharp, exaggerating this stereotype by suggesting they might even eat crayons, which are obviously inedible. This trope took hold largely through social media and military culture as a form of inter-service rivalry humor and has been embraced by Marines themselves to poke fun at the stereotype. It often appears in jokes, memes, and even real edible crayon products created by veterans. The Marine Corps has even leaned into the joke with playful videos and traditions involving crayons at events, treating it as a bond-building and lighthearted way to celebrate Marine identity and camaraderie. The joke started spreading widely in the early 2010s and became especially popular by the mid-2010s, with origins traced to a viral post about a Marine mistakenly eating crayons in a prank MRE (Meal, Ready-to- Eat). It's not based on reality but is a facet of military humor reflecting tough, resilient Marines who are sometimes teased for being a little "rough around the edges" intellectually.