What Is 'The Fluoride Stare?' The Conspiracy Theory Meme Explained

Conspiracy Theories are ever popular online and seem to attract some of the stranger kinds of humans. If you are the kind of person to think about chemtrails the next time you see a faint white streak against the blue sky, or are convinced that the curvature of the earth is a myth, chances are that you have received a blank stare in response to you sharing the good "truth."

But don't worry, other people have noticed this too! QAnon nuts and Reptilian Humanoid believers alike have noted this particular phenomenon and gone so far as to give it a name. Here's what happens when you bust out your tinfoil hat. You get hit with the fluoride stare.

What Does 'Fluoride Stare' Mean?

Conspiracy theorists have long believed that the practice of putting fluoride in the public water supply is not in fact "good for your teeth," but is in fact another mode for mass brain control.

So the "fluoride stare" likely is a tongue-in-cheek reference to those who do readily consume fluoride to the point where it shows via a disaffected blank gaze.

Where Did The 'Fluoride Stare' Meme Originate?

Sometime in April 2016, the Facebook group "Flat Earth Matters" shared a meme showing a drawing of several eerie blank-faced people, alongside text that read, "When you mention flat earth and all you get back is that fluoride stare." The meme went on to circulate both sincerely and ironically.

People soon began to realize that the phrase "fluoride stare" is popular jargon in conspiracy theory circles and that it's a phrase used to describe the look such theorists receive when they try to share information they think is in fact very valuable.

How Did The 'Fluoride Stare' Meme Evolve?

Memes about being "hit with the fluoride stare" caught on after 2020, with an early example being a welding meme page sharing a meme that alleges that woodworkers exhibit the fluoride stare as well. Other people made jokes about the fluoride (amongst other substances) in their own bloodstream.

What Are Some Examples Of 'Fluoride Stare' Memes?

For the full history of the "Fluoride Stare", be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.