Meme Overview

The Charlie Questions Pim meme depicts a moment from the animated series Smiling Friends where Charlie is visibly disturbed after learning that his friend Pim once kissed his dad on the mouth as a child.

Background

In the episode, Charlie's reaction highlights the awkwardness and surprise that can arise from sharing unconventional personal experiences. The image of Charlie staring at Pim has become a popular reaction image, often used to express discomfort or disbelief when people disclose strange or inappropriate information about themselves.

How It Began

The meme originated from the sixth episode, "Enchanted Forest," of the animated series Smiling Friends, which aired on January 9, 2022. In this episode, Pim recalls a moment from his childhood when his father forbade him from embarking on an adventure, culminating in an unexpected kiss on the mouth. This scene prompted Charlie to question Pim about the incident. On January 12, 2022, YouTube user CC.mp3 uploaded the relevant clip, which has since garnered over 172,000 views.

Internet Reaction

The meme first appeared on September 20, 2022, when Twitter user @HomestuckHoovy shared a still image of Charlie looking bewildered, which gained significant traction, receiving over 3,500 reposts and 51,000 likes over two years. On December 11, 2022, @RealYouTubeKids utilized the image to react to a tweet by Jordan Peterson, leading to increased visibility on Reddit where it amassed over 5,000 upvotes. Throughout 2023, the meme continued to spread on platforms like Twitter and Reddit, with notable posts achieving tens of thousands of likes. In March 2024, TikTok user @travelbeef created an edit referencing a scene from Dune: Part Two, which received over 990,000 views. The meme's popularity peaked in May 2024, with numerous examples going viral.