Chicanery Copypasta
Part of a series on Better Call Saul. [View Related Entries]
About
Chicanery Copypasta, also known as "I Am Not Crazy" Copypasta and Chuck McGill's Testimony, refers to a monologue uttered by Better Call Saul character Chuck McGill in which he, during his courtroom testimony, loses his composure and spews out crazy-sounding accusations against his brother Jimmy. The monologue has been used as a copypasta in which various people accuse others of scheming and plotting against them, with the scene also inspiring video remixes, video captions and other memes.
Origin
On May 8th, 2017, episode five "Chicanery" of season 3 of the drama television series Better Call Saul premiered.[1] In the episode, the character Chuck McGill testifies against his brother Jimmy and has a mental breakdown during questioning, bursting out with accusations against his brother, which makes him appear paranoid and unhinged. That day, AMC uploaded[2] the clip to their YouTube account, where the scene received more than 1.2 million views in three years (shown below, left; alternative version shown below, right).
I am not crazy! I know he swapped those numbers! I knew it was 1216. One after Magna Carta. As if I could ever make such a mistake. Never. Never! I just – I just couldn't prove it. He – he covered his tracks, he got that idiot at the copy shop to lie for him. You think this is something? You think this is bad? This? This chicanery? He's done worse. That billboard! Are you telling me that a man just happens to fall like that? No! He orchestrated it! Jimmy! He defecated through a sunroof! And I saved him! And I shouldn't have. I took him into my own firm! What was I thinking? He'll never change. He'll never change! Ever since he was 9, always the same! Couldn't keep his hands out of the cash drawer! But not our Jimmy! Couldn't be precious Jimmy! Stealing them blind! And he gets to be a lawyer!? What a sick joke! I should've stopped him when I had the chance! And you – you have to stop him! You-
On May 11th, 2017, an anonymous 4chan[3] user posted the monologues to a /tv/ thread (post shown below).
Spread
The copypasta, while occasionally posted, did not receive variations until the release of season 5 of the series in early 2020. On March 18th, 2020, following the premiere of Better Call Saul episode "Dedicado a Max", a 4chan[4] user posted the earliest found modified version of copypasta, a meme referencing the episode (shown below, left). On April 20th, 2020, another 4chan user posted[5] a version of the copypasta parodying foreign adaptations of popular shows (shown below, right).
![[1/1/1] Anonymous Mon 20 Apr 2020 15:14:43 No.132525597 View Reply Original Report >I AM NOT CRAZY! I KNOW HE SWAPPED THOSE NUMBERS! I KNEW IT WAS 1216 ONE AFTER THE DEMISE OF THE GHURID DINASTY. AS IF I COULD EVER MAKE SUCH A MISTAKE. NEVER. NEVER! 1MiB, 1920x1200, Chuckjiv.png View Same Google iqdb SauceNAO Trace ↓ >HE DEFECATED IN A TOILET! AND *HE* GETRS TO BE A CALL CENTER AGENT? WHAT A SICK JOKE! What foreign adaptations of tv shows would you watch, /tv/? Pic related I think Better Call Mahinder would be even better than Metástasis](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/373/375/ac4.jpg "Better Call Mahinder")
The copypasta format first achieved notable popularity in late 2020, as it was used to humorously comment on accusations of fraud in COVID statistics and vote count. For example, on October 20th, 2020, a 4chan[6] user posted a Donald Trump version of the copypasta to /tv/ (shown below, left). On November 16th, 2020, iFunny[7] user absolutist posted a fake tweet by Donald Trump that gained over 160 smiles on the app in two years (shown below, right).
![Anonymous Tue 20 Oct 2020 [6 / 1/6] 09:01:19 No.140984838 View Reply Original Report Quoted By: >>140984856 >>140985072 >>140986311 >>140986336 >>140986379 93KiB, 1248x703, 324545.jpg View Same Google iqdb SauceNAO Trace I AM NOT CRAZY! I know it was a hoax. I know he swapped those death rates. I knew it was > 0.1%. Less than the seasonal flu. As if I could ever make such a mistake. Never. Never! I just - I just couldn't prove it. He covered his tracks, he got that idiot in WHO to lie for him. You think this is something? You think this is bad? This? This chicanery? He's done worse. Are you telling me that a healthy young man just happens to die from a flu like that? No! HE orchestrated it! Fauci! He DEFECATED through a sunroof! And I saved him! And I shouldn't have. I took him into my white house! What was I thinking? He'll never change. He'll never change! Ever since he was with Obama, always the same! Couldn't keep his mouth from the press! But not our Fauci! Couldn't be precious Fauci! Stealing them blind! And he gets to be a doctor? What a sick joke! I should've stopped him when I had the chance! And you-you should have stopped him- you...](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/373/379/41c.jpg "No! HE orchestrated it! Fauci!")
The copypasta saw continuous use on 4chan as well as Reddit's /r/betterCallSaul subreddit in 2021 and 2022, experiencing a significant increase in popularity following the premiere of season 6 of Better Call Saul in April 2022.
Other Use in Memes
Apart from spawning a copypasta, the scene also inspired remixes, video caption memes and image macros.
On May 20th, 2017, two weeks after the episode premiere, YouTuber[8] Wolfbane8 posted the video "Chuck McGill goes Nuts (Re-edited)," a remix of the scene that received more than 15,200 views in less than five years (shown below).
In the following years, more remixes of the scene were posted online, primarily on YouTube. For example, on July 7th, 2018, YouTuber[9] alternate meme posted a video "[YTP] Bimmy McGill steals Chuck's Nicken Chuggets," a YouTube Poop edit of the scene (shown below, left) that gained over 8,200 views in four years. On February 2nd, 2021, Instagram user @salad.snake reposted a Japanese dub of the scene. The post received more than 26,000 likes in one day (YouTube[10] reupload shown below, right).
On May 11th, 2022, Twitter[11] gimmick account Breaking Bad Irony posted an A Lego Man Has Fallin Into a River In Lego City meme based on the scene that gained over 257,000 views, 3,100 retweets and 24,500 likes in two weeks (shown below).
— Breaking Bad Irony (@BreakingBadIrny) May 11, 2022
Various Examples
![Anonymous Thu 03 [7/4/7] Mar 2022 12:55:51 No.38288080 View Reply Original Rep ort Quoted By: >>38288199 >>38288662 >>38288739 >>38288775 >>38289527 I am not crazy! I know she changed the timeline. I knew Rainbow Dash was supposed to win that race. Win the race, defend Fluttershy's honor. As if I Rainbow could ever make such a mistake. Never. Never! I just - I just couldn't prove it. She covered her tracks, she got that derpy idiot at the post office to lie for her. You think this is 278KiB, 944x944, B1E67706-EBCD-4A42-A67D- 6CE7E8EC0F38.jpg View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO something? You think this is bad? This? This chicanery? She's done worse. That village! Are you telling me that a mare just happens to lose her cutiemark like that? No! She orchestrated it! Starlight! She started a world war in the other timeline! And I saved her! And I shouldn't have. I took her into my own school! What was I thinking? She'll never change. She'll never change! Ever since season 4, always the same! Couldn't keep her hands out of the cutie mark jar! But not our Glimmy! Couldn't be precious Glimmy! Stealing their cutie marks! And *SHE* gets to be a headmare? What a sick joke! I should've stopped her when I had the chance! ...And you, you have to stop her! You...](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/373/432/7cf.jpg "No! She orchestrated it! Starlight!")
![[18/3/11] I AM NOT CRAZY Anonymous Sat 07 Aug 2021 01:31:01 No.154616949 View Reply Original Report Quoted By: >>154617039 >>154617092 >>154617112 >>154617443 45KiB, 810x569, 1628298610697.jpg >I am not crazy! I know he swapped those medallions. I knew it was the crayola model magic, made just after sonichu issue #5. As if I would ever make such a mistake, never, never! I View Same Google iqdb SauceNAO Trace ↓ just- I just couldn't merge the dimensions! I was working on it, and they got Mr C to cut down the internet for them. You think this is something? Getting me to f--- my mom? They've done worse. My love quest! Are you telling me that a man just happens to be wearing a pickle suit in the mall? No! He orchestrated it! Clyde Cash! They hired hookers to come to my house! And they saved me! But they shouldn't have. They gave me a place to live after the fire, what were they thinking!? I'll never change, I'll never change. Ever since I won that contest, always the same! Couldn't keep my hands off my mom! But not Chris! Couldn't be Chris! Robbing her blind! And I get the happy ending? What a sick joke! They should have stopped me when they had the chance! And you-- You have to stop me! You..](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/373/389/f48.jpg "I am not crazy! I know he swapped those medallions.")
Search Interest
External References
[2] YouTube – Better Call Saul: 'A Sick Joke' Talked About Scene Ep. 305
[3] 4plebs – /tv/ Post #82657712
[4] 4plebs – /tv/ Post #130909248
[5] 4plebs – /tv/ Thread #132525597
[6] 4chan – /tv/ Thread #140984838
[7] iFunny – absolutist
[8] YouTube – Chuck McGill goes Nuts
[9] YouTube – [YTP] Bimmy McGill steals Chuck's Nicken Chuggets&
[10] YouTube – Better Call Saul – Chuck loses control in Japanese
[11] Twitter – @BreakingBadIrny
![Anonymous Thu 25 [3/1/3] Mar 2021 04:01:03 No.218964310 View Reply Original Rep ort Quoted By: >>218964617 >>218967299 I AM NOTI AM NOT CRAZY! I am not crazy...I know she put something in the wine! I know she conspired with Zeke. As if I could ever make such a mistake. Never! NEVER! I just couldn't prove it! And she covered her tracks, she got that idiot Floch to lie for her! You think this is something? You think this is bad? This? This 241KiB, 550x550, F--- Chucxis.png View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO+ chicanery? She's done worse! That Marleyan guilt! Are you telling me a woman just happens to hate a race? No! She orchestrated it! Yelena! SHE LIED TO HER COMRADES ABOUT HER RACE! A 1.90M REFUGEE!?? And I saved her! Oh I shouldn't have...took her into my own nation! What was I thinking? She'll never change. She'll NEVER change! Ever since she met Zeke. Always the same! COULDN'T KEEP HERSELF OUT OF WEARING A CHINSTRAP! >"But not our Volunteers! Couldn't be precious Volunteers!" Ruining her people's lives... AND SHE HELPS ALLIANCE AT THE END?! WHAT A SICK JOKE! I should've stopped her when I had the chance! And you, you HAVE to stop her...](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/list/002/373/436/90f.jpg "No! She orchestrated it! Yelena!")
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