Introduction

Murray's 'You're Laughing' meme template is derived from a quote in the 2019 film Joker, expressing disapproval of laughter in serious situations.

Background

The phrase 'You're Laughing' originates from a scene in the film Joker where the character Murray Franklin, played by Robert De Niro, critiques the protagonist for laughing at the consequences of his actions. This quote has been adapted into various ironic memes, often used to highlight inappropriate responses to serious issues.

How It Began

The Joker premiered in the United States on October 4, 2019. During a pivotal scene, Murray Franklin chastises Joker for laughing at the critical injuries of two policemen caused by riots. The exact inception of the meme format is unclear, but it is believed to have started on an unidentified Discord server. On December 24, 2019, Twitter user @nanoLenoC made the first known post referencing the quote, though it did not gain significant traction. The meme began to spread more widely when user cluu reposted it on iFunny on January 9, 2020, receiving over 36,400 smiles within two weeks.

Internet Reaction

The meme gained further momentum on January 9, 2020, when Tumblr user mikeyandnicky reposted it, amassing over 1,200 likes and reblogs in two weeks. A Reddit post by sttoned on January 10, 2020, gained over 14,500 upvotes in the /r/okbuddyretard subreddit. Additional variations continued to spread across platforms like Twitter and Reddit, with notable posts from users like @xYumesei, who received over 5,400 retweets and 19,000 likes. By January 16, 2020, the meme had gained significant popularity on Twitter, with many users creating their own iterations.