Introduction

Murray's 'You're Laughing' is a meme inspired by a quote from the character Franklin Murray in the 2019 film Joker. This meme uses irony to criticize those who laugh at serious issues.

Background

The phrase 'You're Laughing' originates from a pivotal moment in the film Joker, where Franklin Murray expresses outrage at the protagonist's laughter in response to tragic events. This sentiment has been adapted into various memes, often to mock or highlight inappropriate humor in serious contexts.

How It Began

The Joker premiered in the United States on October 4, 2019. In a significant scene, Murray Franklin, played by Robert De Niro, confronts the Joker, stating: 'Look what happened because of what you did, what it led to! There are riots out there! Two policemen are in critical condition and you're laughing. You're laughing. Someone was killed today because of what you did.' The meme format emerged from an unidentified Discord server, with the earliest known post made by Twitter user @nanoLenoC on December 24, 2019. Although this tweet did not gain traction, the format began to spread notably when iFunny user cluu reposted it on January 9, 2020, garnering significant engagement.

Meme Evolution

Following its initial spread, the meme gained popularity on various platforms. On January 9, 2020, Tumblr user mikeyandnicky reposted it, achieving over 1,200 likes and reblogs. The following day, Redditor sttoned's post on /r/okbuddyretard received over 14,500 upvotes, while this-is-america-homo's derivative version gained over 10,300 upvotes. By January 10, 2020, the format was widely shared across subreddits like /r/GamersRiseUp. Subsequent viral tweets from users @fishstick_134 and @TheMassiveMK from January 16 further propelled its popularity on Twitter, leading to numerous variations.