What Is The 'Pepe the King Prawn' Meme? TikTok's Relatable Viral 'Muppets' Memes Explained

A fan-favorite Muppet has become a huge relatable meme on TikTok this month, and it's got users opening up about their worst moments.

The meme has TikTokers writing some of their most embarrassing stories over an image of Pepe the King Prawn, and it's going viral under a rendition of Madonna's song "Like a Prayer," specifically the choir version from the 2024 Deadpool & Wolverine movie.

But who even is Pepe the King Prawn and why is the meme going so viral? Here's what you need to know.

What Is The 'Pepe The King Prawn' Meme?

Pepe the King Prawn is a character on The Muppets who made his premiere way back in 1996. The orange, four-armed prawn who hates being called a shrimp quickly became a fan-favorite and started appearing regularly in future The Muppets media. Muppets puppeteer Frank Oz even said Pepe is his favorite character during a 2024 interview.

In late November 2024, TikToker @caitycline21 posted a few memes using an image of Pepe with a blank stare on his face. The first meme reads, "Sometimes I'm late because I'm spending too much time like this," using Pepe to represent their looks.

But her big viral hit, posted that same day, reads, "The face I make when I'm trying to maintain great customer service while getting screamed at." The post gained over 3 million views in a week and sparked the trend.

How Is 'Pepe the King Prawn' Used In Memes?

The image of Pepe the King Prawn giving his blank stare is being used as a relatable image macro format across TikTok. Most examples use the same original sound, which is a rendition of "Like a Prayer" by Madonna.

Typically, the captions tell embarrassing, humiliating or awkward anecdotes alongside Pepe's face, which is used as a representation of the user's face during the anecdote.

This isn't the first time that Pepe the King Prawn has gone viral as a meme. Back in 2016, Pepe appeared alongside Kermit the Frog in the Ima Keep It Real With U Chief meme, which features Kermit holding Pepe by the shoulder to have a frank discussion with him.

For the full history of Pepe the King Prawn, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.