One of the hottest meme templates right now reads, "Silence X, a Y is talking," showing King Baldwin IV raising his hand to shut you up.

The meme is a simple recaption trend in which creators exploit the original image, adding different words to the phrasal template. One of the most popular versions reads, "Silence pothead, an alcoholic is talking," giving you an idea of how unserious this trend is.

However, who created the original meme that everyone's using? Who's King Baldwin anyway and why is he a meme? Let's explain.

Where Did The 'Silence X, A Y Is Talking' Meme Come From?

The original meme that started this trend is unfortunately problematic. It was posted earlier this month by a statue profile picture on X. It read an anti-Semitic remark, contrasting Judaism and Christianity.

Regardless of its contents, the format of the abovementioned meme was ripe for exploitable usage. By recaptioning the subjects of the unsavory meme, the format was given a better meaning.




Who Was 'King Baldwin IV' And Why Is He A Meme?

King Baldwin IV was the King of Jerusalem in the 12th century. He was also known as the Leper King because he suffered from leprosy at an early age. The disease claimed much of his face, disfiguring him and inspiring him to always wear a mask.

The image of King Baldwin used in the "Silence X, a Y is talking" meme is a screencap from the 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven in which actor Edward Norton plays the Leper King.

In the meme, he's seen wearing an all-white outfit and metal mask, raising his hand as if to say "Silence!" That's why the meme is called the King Baldwin IV Hand Raise.




What's The 'Silence X, A Y Is Talking' Meme Template?

To make a "Silence X, a Y is talking" meme, download the meme template shown below and add your own text. You could do this in Photoshop or something simpler like Snapchat, Instagram or TikTok.




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For the full history of "Silence X, a Y is talking," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.