Editor's Note: This entry contains minor spoilers for Oppenheimer; read at your own caution.

About

Einstein and Oppenheimer Meeting refers to a screencap from the last scene in the 2023 film Oppenheimer in which J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy) meets Albert Einstein (Tom Conti) outside by a pond. The screencap was originally used as a promo photo for the movie in early 2023. After the film's release in July 2023, the image macro trended en masse on Twitter and elsewhere, often paired with a caption that contrasted the imagined seriousness of the meeting in relation to the known prowess of each man's intelligence.

Origin

On June 20th, 2023, the Twitter^[1] account @DiscussingFilm tweeted a newly released screencap from the movie (taken by Universal Pictures photographer Melinda Sue Gordon^[2]) in which Albert Einstein (played by actor Tom Conti) was standing with J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) beside a pond (shown below). The tweet^[1] gained roughly 22,100 likes in one month. The screencap was later used in articles and interviews by news outlets like Wired^[2] and Polygon.^[3]

Later on June 20th, Twitter^[4] user @ItsJohnRain tweeted the first-known memetic usage of the image, captioning it, "Lilo Lill is a tart, Freddie," in reference to characters from the British sitcom Bread,^[5] one of whom resembled Tom Conti's Einstein. The tweet gained over 110 likes in one month (shown below).

Spread

Leading up to the film's premiere on July 21st, 2023, the image continued to receive memetic usage online. For instance, on July 8th, 2023, Twitter^[6] user @NoahGarfinkel captioned it, “We’re gathering a group of top scientists to go see Barbie in reference to the Barbenheimer memes, gaining over 550 likes in 17 days (shown below, left). On July 19th, 2023, a user on 4chan's /tv/ ^[7] board used the image in a humorous thread, gaining numerous replies (shown below, right).

After the film's release on July 21st, 2023, the image gained more usage. A majority of its post-premiere usage referenced how the screencap was from the last scene in the film. For instance, on July 20th, 2023, likely following the film's early screening, a user on /tv/^[8] called Einstein a "whiny cuck" because of the scene, additionally writing, "Wtf? What was the point of this gay ass movie?" (shown below).

General memes surfaced on Twitter in the same timeframe, such as a tweet posted by Twitter^[9] user @zuza_real on July 23rd, 2023, who called the scene, "The Avengers for people who know multiplication tables," gaining roughly 177,100 likes in two days (shown below).

Various Examples

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External References