“Can’t believe they let just anyone make babies but you gotta have a license to fucking fish” is a saying that has been printed on many images. The actor Keanu Reeves said in the American family comedy film Parenthood (1989):
   
“You know, Mrs. Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog, or drive a car. Hell, you need a license to catch a fish! But they’ll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father.”
   
”#itsdisappointingtoknow that anyone can have a baby but you need a license to fish” was posted on Twitter by Sparrowmancer on July 3, 2010. “Anybody can make a baby but you need a license to fish” was posted on Twitter by Run The Jules on October 23, 2017. “Anyone can have a baby but we all need a license to fish” was posted on Reddit—Showerthoughts on October 3, 2020.
 
A meme (authorship is uncertain) became popular in November 2020. “Can’t believe they let just anyone make babies but you have to have a license to fucking fish” was posted on Twitter by “home of the meme” on November 3, 2019. “Can’t believe they let just anyone make babies but you gotta have a license to fucking fish” (shown on an image) was posted on Reddit—Antinatalism on November 16, 2019.
   
           
IMDb (The Internet Movie Database)
Parenthood (1989)
Quotes
Helen: It sounds like a boy Garry’s age needs a man around the house.
Tod: Well, it depends on the man. I had a man around. He used to wake me up every morning by flicking lit cigarettes at my head. He’d say, “Hey, asshole, get up and make me breakfast.” You know, Mrs. Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog, or drive a car. Hell, you need a license to catch a fish! But they’ll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father.
 
Twitter
Ⓐⓡⓢⓔ & ᑜＩᑥＫ, and Odͩeͤlaͣys (he/him/papi)
@fekauff
wonders why anyone can have a baby, but you need a license to fish.
2:01 PM · Jul 10, 2008·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
Sparrowmancer
@RyanZDawson
#itsdisappointingtoknow that anyone can have a baby but you need a license to fish.
8:56 PM · Jul 3, 2010·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
John VanSlyke
@JohnVanSlyke1
Any dumb asshole can have a baby, but I need a license to fish. Just let that one sink in for a moment.
1:08 AM · Jun 9, 2016·Twitter for Android
   
Twitter
Run The Jules
@AngeloFiction
Anybody can make a baby but you need a license to fish
3:16 PM · Oct 23, 2017 from Corvallis, OR·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
Susan Brooks
@Brooks4Sa
Replying to @heartofgold81 and @ChrisEvans
Paraphrasing Keanu Reeves’ character from Parenthood: Any asshole can have a baby, but you have to have a license to fish.
9:46 AM · Oct 16, 2018·Twitter for Android
 
Twitter
home of the meme
@shitposter1014
Can’t believe they let just anyone make babies but you have to have a license to fucking fish
4:58 PM · Nov 3, 2019·Twitter for iPhone
       
Teitter
Grant
@HoldenMadick
I can’t believe they’ll let just ANYBODY have babies.
But you gotta have a license to fucking fish
8:21 PM · Nov 3, 2019·Twitter for iPhone
     
Twitter
JayP
@_jpoirier
Can’t believe they let just anyone have babies but you gotta have a license to fucking fish…..
9:38 PM · Nov 3, 2019·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
Alley
@AlleyCak3s
Tbh I can’t believe they let anyone make babies but you gotta have a license to fuckin’ fish.
1:02 AM · Nov 4, 2019 from San Antonio, TX·Twitter for Android
   
Twitter
David Schneider
@SuperDiabetes12
I can’t believe they just let anyone make babies but you got to have a license to fucking fish
4:20 AM · Nov 4, 2019 from St Marys, PA·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
king
@methelone
can’t believe they let anyone just make babies but you have to have a license to fuckin fish
9:12 AM · Nov 4, 2019·Twitter for iPhone
 
Reddit—Antinatalism
Posted by u/Blastbeast November 16, 2019
No license needed to make babies
(The following text is shown on an image.—ed.)
Can’t believe they let just anyone make babies but you gotta have a license to fucking fish.
 
Facebook
McFly’s Funnies
April 14, 2020 at 8:45 PM ·
Can’t believe they just let anyone make babies but you have to have a damn fishing license.
     
Reddit—Showerthoughts
Posted by u/DonOf952 October 3, 2020
Anyone can have a baby but we all need a license to fish.
Rule 1: Common/Unoriginal Thought
 
Facebook
Hitting the bags and smashing slags
January 21, 2021 at 12:59 AM ·
can’t believe they let anyone make babies but u need a license to fucking fish 🥶