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Where Did This 'You Sure About That?' Meme Come From? Tim Robinson's Latest Viral Moment From 'I Think You Should Leave' Explained
Sometimes (often, actually) you see something on the internet that you can't believe an actual real human being in their right mind would say. Or, there are moments in your own life where you look at yourself and you just wonder if you're really certain that what you just did or are about to do is a good idea.
One of the most ancient functions of memes is as reaction images or videos, ways of expressing yourself in cyberspace. On TikTok, this tradition is alive and well — as is the case for the recently trendy "You Sure About That?" meme.
But where exactly did this random clip come from and why did it start being used in memes so commonly? Let's start from the top.
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7215955979412999470
What Is 'You Sure About That'?
"You sure about that?" is a clip from the surrealist comedy Netflix show I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson. In the clip, Robinson plays a spokesperson for a made-up company, and he's talking about why he was fired. He's doubting the official explanation of "poor performance" and asking sarcastically (but way too intensely maybe) if that's really why he was let go.
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7201582947948924202
How Did It Become A Meme?
TikTok allows a user to cut out parts of existing videos and remix them by layering them on top of new videos, using TikTok's official video-editing app, CapCut.
Users started taking the clip of Robinson asking "you sure about that?" and applying it to totally new and different contexts.
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7213495710556179754
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7214797977464933675
How Do People Use 'You Sure About That'?
The voice of Robinson can become a kind of intimate, inner voice. It can represent the poster talking to themselves and doubting themselves.
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7216419224502144282
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7215256776407616811
But it can also be directed outwards, at other people: sometimes, a video using the clip will point to an untrue assumption that other people have, or something they believe that they should really re-examine.
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7215687906042858798
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7215793354653715717
For more information, check out the Know Your Meme entry for Tim Robinson Asking 'Are You Sure About That?'
