Navigating the Nuanced World of Reaction Memes and Their Cultural Impact

As I scrolled through my Twitter feed last night, I came across yet another variation of the “What do you mean by that” meme—this time featuring a suspicious-looking Squidward with one eyebrow dramatically raised. I couldn’t help but laugh. There’s something universally relatable about that moment when someone says something that makes you question their entire existence.

That’s the beauty of this particular meme format. It captures that split second of confusion, suspicion, and sometimes outright accusation when someone says something that sounds innocent enough on the surface but carries potential undertones that make you go… wait a minute.

The “What do you mean by that” meme has become our collective digital side-eye—a universal shorthand for calling out suspicious statements without saying a word.

But how did we get here? And why has this particular meme format endured when so many others have faded into internet obscurity? Let me take you on a journey through the evolution, psychology, and cultural significance of one of the internet’s most versatile reaction memes.

The Origin Story: How Suspicion Became Viral

Like many internet phenomena, pinpointing the exact birth of the “What do you mean by that” meme is challenging. Its roots likely trace back to the early 2010s when reaction images first gained popularity. However, the meme as we recognize it today began crystallizing around 2016-2017, with several key images becoming the standard bearers.

The most iconic versions include:

1. The squinting Fry from Futurama (officially called “Not Sure If”)
2. The suspicious Tom from Tom and Jerry
3. The Rock raising his eyebrow
4. Various anime characters with narrowed eyes
5. Nick Young’s confused expression

What unites all these images is the universal expression of suspicion—that unmistakable squint, raised eyebrow, or tilted head that says, “I’m not sure I believe what you’re saying, and I think there might be something problematic lurking beneath your words.”

I remember first encountering the meme in its Fry format. My friend had texted me “Can’t wait to see you tonight ;)” and I responded with nothing but the squinting Fry image. She immediately backtracked and clarified she was excited about our group dinner, not making a pass at me. The meme had done its job—calling out potential subtext without direct confrontation.

The Psychology Behind the Side-Eye

What makes this meme format so effective and enduring? As someone who’s both used and been on the receiving end of the digital side-eye, I’ve given this considerable thought.

At its core, the “What do you mean by that” meme serves a crucial social function: it allows us to express skepticism or call out potentially problematic statements without direct confrontation. In face-to-face interactions, humans have developed subtle nonverbal cues to express doubt—raised eyebrows, head tilts, squints. The meme translates these physical expressions into the digital realm.

Dr. Sarah Johnson, a media psychologist I interviewed for this piece, explained: “These memes function as social regulation tools. They allow people to police boundaries of acceptable speech without creating direct conflict. It’s a softer way of saying ‘I noticed what you just did there, and I’m not letting it slide.'”

This is particularly valuable in text-based communication where tone and intent can be difficult to discern. When someone makes an ambiguous statement that could be interpreted in multiple ways—particularly if one interpretation might be offensive—the meme serves as a question mark. It says, “I’m giving you the chance to clarify before I assume the worst.”

The genius of the format lies in its ambiguity—it simultaneously accuses and provides plausible deniability for both parties involved.

When to Deploy the Digital Side-Eye

Through years of internet communication, I’ve identified several common scenarios where the “What do you mean by that” meme makes its appearance:

1. The Potential Double Entendre

Someone makes a statement that could be completely innocent or wildly inappropriate depending on interpretation. For example:

Friend: “I spent all weekend playing with my new joystick.”
Me: inserts The Rock raising eyebrow meme

2. The Possible Microaggression

When someone says something that might contain subtle racism, sexism, or other prejudice:

Colleague: “You’re surprisingly articulate.”
Me: inserts squinting Fry meme

3. The Suspicious Timing

When someone’s actions seem too coincidental:

Friend who just started dating someone new: “I can’t hang out this weekend. I’m suddenly really interested in… bird watching.”
Me: inserts suspicious Tom meme

4. The Potential Humblebrag

When someone is being falsely modest:

Social media post: “Ugh, hate when my abs look too defined in photos. So awkward!”
Comments: filled with Nick Young confused face memes

5. The Veiled Insult

When someone says something that sounds complimentary but might be a dig:

Someone: “That outfit is very brave.”
Me: inserts anime character side-eye meme

The beauty of these deployments is their efficiency. One image conveys what would otherwise require several sentences to articulate. It’s communication compression at its finest.

The Cultural Evolution: From Simple Reaction to Cultural Commentary

What started as a simple reaction image has evolved into something more sophisticated. The “What do you mean by that” meme now serves as a form of cultural commentary—a way to highlight problematic patterns of speech or behavior.

In 2020, I noticed a significant shift in how the meme was being used. Following increased awareness around racial justice issues, the meme became a tool for calling out coded language and microaggressions. A simple side-eye meme could now carry the weight of complex social critique.

For example, when a company would tweet something like “We believe all customers matter” during Pride Month or Black History Month, the replies would be flooded with side-eye memes—a collective callout of the corporation’s attempt to dilute or co-opt the message.

Social media analyst Marco Rodriguez explains: “These memes have become a form of digital accountability. They allow marginalized communities especially to highlight problematic speech patterns without having to engage in exhausting explanations of why something is problematic.”

This evolution demonstrates how internet culture can develop sophisticated communication tools that serve important social functions. What started as a joke has become a method of enforcing communal norms.

The Variations: How Different Communities Adapted the Meme

One fascinating aspect of the “What do you mean by that” meme is how different online communities have adapted it to reflect their specific cultural references and concerns.

Gaming Communities

In gaming spaces, the meme often appears in response to ambiguous statements about skill or strategy. When someone claims “I only lost because of lag,” the doubtful side-eye meme is almost guaranteed to follow.

I’m part of several gaming Discord servers, and we’ve even developed our own custom emoji versions of the side-eye meme featuring characters from our favorite games. Our Skyrim server has a particularly effective one of Lydia looking skeptical that gets used at least daily.

Professional Settings

Even in professional Slack channels, the meme has found its place—albeit in more subtle forms. When the boss writes “I’d like to have a quick chat later,” the wide-eyed suspicious emoji response is understood by all.

A colleague once told me they accidentally sent the squinting face emoji to their CEO after a vague announcement about “exciting changes coming to the company structure.” The CEO actually appreciated the honesty and clarified they were opening a new office, not conducting layoffs.

Academic Circles

Perhaps most surprisingly, I’ve noticed the meme format appearing in academic contexts. During virtual conferences, the chat sidebar will occasionally light up with the 🤨 emoji when a presenter makes a questionable methodological claim or overstates their conclusions.

A professor friend admitted to me that she’s started using the raised eyebrow emoji in comments on student papers when she suspects plagiarism but can’t prove it—a digital version of the look she would give in person.

The International Appeal: Side-Eye Across Cultures

While researching for this blog post, I discovered something fascinating—the “What do you mean by that” meme has transcended language barriers. The expressions of doubt, suspicion, and calling out subtext appear to be near-universal across cultures.

In Japanese internet culture, the “Thinking Face Emoji” (🤔) often serves a similar function, while Korean netizens have their own set of reaction images featuring K-drama actors giving suspicious looks.

During a work trip to Brazil last year, my local colleague showed me their version of the meme—featuring a famous Brazilian comedian with an exaggerated suspicious expression. Despite not speaking Portuguese, I immediately understood the meme’s function.

This cross-cultural resonance speaks to the universality of certain social dynamics. No matter where you are in the world, people say things with hidden meanings, and communities develop ways to call this out.

The Technical Evolution: From Static Images to GIFs and Beyond

The form of the “What do you mean by that” meme has evolved alongside technology. What started as static images gave way to GIFs, which could capture the full motion of a doubtful look—from normal expression to full suspicion.

The most effective versions show the progression of realization. My personal favorite is the GIF of Drew Scanlon (known as “Blinking White Guy”) where you can literally see the moment of processing information and reaching a state of disbelief.

With the rise of TikTok and short-form video content, the meme has taken on yet another dimension. Users now create brief reaction videos featuring their own suspicious looks, often set to specific sounds that have become shorthand for “I’m calling you out.”

I recently saw a TikTok trend where people would stitch videos containing questionable statements with a simple zoom-in on their doubtful expression, sometimes accompanied by the sound of crickets. The evolution continues, but the core function remains the same.

When the Meme Backfires: The Double-Edged Sword of Digital Accountability

While the “What do you mean by that” meme can be a powerful tool for calling out problematic speech, it can also create its own problems. I’ve witnessed (and occasionally been part of) situations where the meme created unnecessary conflict or misunderstanding.

The inherent ambiguity that makes the meme effective also makes it potentially harmful. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and an innocent statement gets read with unintended subtext.

Last year, a friend posted about being excited to try a new ethnic restaurant in our city. Someone responded with the side-eye meme, apparently assuming my friend was fetishizing the cuisine. In reality, my friend was half-Japanese and excited to find food that reminded her of her grandmother’s cooking. The meme-poster eventually apologized, but not before creating an uncomfortable situation.

The meme walks a fine line between calling out potential issues and creating a culture of constant suspicion where every statement is presumed to have negative intent until proven otherwise.

As with any tool of social regulation, context matters, and wielding the digital side-eye responsibly requires discernment.

The Corporate Co-option: When Brands Try to Side-Eye

As with most successful meme formats, it didn’t take long for corporate social media accounts to attempt to capitalize on the “What do you mean by that” meme. The results have been… mixed at best.

I’ve collected some notable examples:

• A fast food chain using the squinting Fry meme to question a competitor’s claim about “fresh” ingredients
• A streaming service deploying the side-eye meme when a competitor announced price increases
• A department store using the suspicious Tom meme when a customer claimed they “just wanted to look around”

These corporate attempts often miss the mark because they fundamentally misunderstand the power dynamic at play in the original meme. The side-eye works best as a tool for individuals to question those with more power—not as a marketing strategy for billion-dollar companies.

When brands use the format, it often feels like the fellow kids meme come to life—an awkward attempt to speak the language of internet culture without understanding its grammar.

Creating Your Own Side-Eye: A Technical Guide

For those interested in deploying their own digital side-eye, here’s a quick guide to creating effective “What do you mean by that” memes:

1. Choose the right base image: The expression should match the level of suspicion you’re trying to convey. The Rock’s eyebrow is for mild skepticism, while the full Nick Young confused face is for complete disbelief.
2. Consider your audience: Different communities recognize different references. Use images that will be familiar to those you’re communicating with.
3. Timing is everything: Deploy the meme immediately after the suspicious statement for maximum impact.
4. Context matters: Make sure the situation actually warrants skepticism. Overusing the meme dilutes its effectiveness.
5. Be prepared for the response: The person might double down, clarify, or respond with confusion. Each requires a different follow-up approach.

I’ve found that the most effective use of the meme in my own communication is when I use it sparingly. Like any good spice, its power comes from judicious application.

The Future of Digital Side-Eye

As we move into increasingly visual forms of digital communication, what will become of the “What do you mean by that” meme? While specific images may fall out of favor, I believe the function they serve will remain vital to online communication.

We may see evolution toward more personalized expressions of doubt. With the rise of avatars, AR, and VR spaces, users might be able to make their own digital selves perform the side-eye in real-time during conversations.

Imagine a metaverse meeting where your avatar can physically raise an eyebrow when someone makes a suspicious claim about deadline feasibility. The technology is nearly there.

Whatever form it takes, the need to express doubt, call out potential problems, and question subtext will remain constant in human communication, ensuring that some version of the digital side-eye will persist.

The Personal Impact: How Side-Eye Memes Changed My Communication

On a personal note, I’ve found that the “What do you mean by that” meme has actually improved my communication skills both online and offline. Being on both sides of the meme has made me more aware of how my words might be interpreted and more courageous in questioning potentially problematic statements.

Before the ubiquity of these memes, I might have let questionable comments slide to avoid conflict. Now, I have a vocabulary—both digital and physical—to express my doubt without initiating a full confrontation.

A few months ago, a colleague made an ambiguous comment about a female executive’s success. Instead of letting it go or launching into a lecture about sexism in the workplace, I simply raised my eyebrow in the exact manner of The Rock meme. He immediately caught the reference and clarified his statement, removing the unintentional implication that her success might be due to anything other than her capabilities.

This small interaction demonstrated the power of having shared cultural references that can quickly communicate complex social feedback.

Conclusion: The Lasting Legacy of Digital Doubt

As we navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape, tools like the “What do you mean by that” meme serve important social functions. They help us regulate discourse, call out potential problems, and inject nuance into text-based communication.

What started as simple reaction images has evolved into a sophisticated system of social accountability and metacommentary. The meme allows us to question not just what people say, but the underlying assumptions and biases that might be hiding beneath their words.

While specific images will come and go as internet culture evolves, the fundamental human need to express doubt and question suspicious statements will remain. The digital side-eye, in whatever form it takes, is here to stay.

So the next time you encounter a statement that makes you tilt your head and wonder about the speaker’s true intentions, remember you’re part of a long tradition of human skepticism—one that’s found perfect expression in the raised eyebrow of a cartoon character or the squinting eyes of a confused basketball player.

The “What do you mean by that” meme isn’t just a joke or a reaction image—it’s a digital embodiment of our collective ability to question, to doubt, and ultimately to hold each other accountable for what we say and what we mean.

And if you disagree with anything I’ve written here… well, I can already imagine which meme you’re thinking of sending me in response.