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What's The Kurt Angle Meme? The 'Bald Guy Staring' Meme With The Wrestler's Viral '1,000 Yard Stare' Explained
Ex-professional WWE wrestler Kurt Angle has his own meme now, known on TikTok as the "Kurt Angle 1,000-yard stare" or more simply as the "Bald Guy Staring" meme. The video, showing Angle staring blankly at the camera, is the perfect distressing meme template akin to the original 1,000-yard stare meme.
Paired with multiple sounds and audios, Kurt Angle's meme is spreading fast, finding reposts and original iterations across social media platforms like Twitter / X and Instagram, among others. Because of this, many are curious about the video's origin and why it's become such a popular meme.
Overall, it's a rather simple trend and it's easy to track why this meme became so relevant so fast. Let's explain.
What's The 'Kurt Angle' Meme's Original Video?
The original video used in the Kurt Angle meme was posted to the wrestler's own TikTok account earlier this year. In it, he introduced himself to the new platform, addressing fans who were likely seeing him for the first time on TikTok.
He ended the video by staring into the camera which, later in 2023, became the Kurt Angle meme as meme creators slowed it down to make it creepy and added captions to it.
@realkurtangle Oh #ItsTrue! YOUR Olympic Gold Medalist and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle is NOW on #TikTok! 🥇🇺🇲 #ProWrestling #Wrestling #OlympicWrestling #Olympics #WWERaw #Smackdown #NXT #WWE #KurtAngle #AEW ♬ WWE: Medal (Kurt Angle) – WWE & Jim Johnston
What's The 'Kurt Angle' Meme?
The meme made from the video is known as the "Kurt Angle 1,000-yard stare." TikTokers slowed down his staring moment and object labeled it with captions, mostly related to an intense realization, enough to make you stare into the abyss.
Popular captions added to the template used the "Genie looking at me" phrasal template which portrayed Angle as a shocked genie reacting to a wisher's evil wish.
Other memes followed no phrasal template and instead crafted their own scenario that Angle's stare embodied. For many, these captions were related to school and work, like a teacher giving a long assignment over a holiday break or a boss asking one to stay overtime.
@mrcrabsmc where did this meme even come from #fyp #foryou #mrcrabsmc #recommendations #shitposting ♬ autumn leaves – aetoul
@couragepathh #fyp #foryou #viral #blowthisup #views #funny #relatable #winterbreak #teacher #trending ♬ original sound – MarcellShotYa
What's The '1,000-Yard Stare' Meme?
The Kurt Angle meme has garnered lots of comparisons to the precursor 1,000-yard stare meme which centers on a World War II era painting of a traumatized soldier originally created by American artist Thomas Lea. The painting's original title is The 2,000 yard stare but it coined the term "thousand yard stare" to describe the rattled look of veterans suffering from PTSD.
In the 21st century, the painting has become a meme, used to symbolize shock. The reaction image has gained countless redraws and exploitable usage in viral TikTok videos and memes. Ultimately, its likeness was used to name the more recent Kurt Angle meme.
What's The 'Kurt Angle' Meme Template?
Want to make a Kurt Angle meme of your own? You can use this green screen template created by TikToker @chiefgreenscreens.
Just right-click and save the video below, go into the video editing app CapCut, choose a background from your camera roll and then add the green screen video as a layer. Then, find the app's "Cutout" feature and remove the green background.
For the full history of the Kurt Angle 1,000-Yard Stare, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.
