Introduction

The Jesse What the F--- Are You Talking About meme features humorous exchanges between Walter White and Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad, often highlighting Jesse's use of modern slang that confuses Walter.

Background

The meme revolves around interactions between Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, where Jesse employs contemporary internet slang while Walter struggles to understand him, prompting his frustrated question.

How It Began

The origins of this meme trace back to July 17, 2011, during the premiere of Breaking Bad's fourth season episode 'Box Cutter.' In a memorable scene, Walter and Jesse discuss their plans over a meal at Denny's. A later reference occurs in the film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which premiered on October 11, 2019, featuring a flashback of the two characters in a similar setting. The meme format gained traction on March 13, 2020, when iFunny user CosmicRewind posted a meme illustrating Jesse's attempt to explain the term 'based' to Walter.

Internet Reaction

The meme gained significant traction starting April 6, 2020, when Twitter user @garfpoop shared a Mommy GF / Return to Tradition meme, amassing over 860 retweets and 5,400 likes. Following this, on April 8, @ohip13 posted a Joker / Doomer / Blackpill variation, which received more than 2,400 retweets and 15,100 likes. The meme format proliferated across platforms, particularly Twitter, Facebook, and iFunny, with notable posts including an April 13 Instagram meme by user bearboob that garnered over 37,600 likes. By April 17, Twitter user @sunbodied's meme achieved over 380 retweets and 1,300 likes within a month.