Is This MF Serious? Does He Not Know We're Gonna / Eric André Shrug

About

Eric André Shrug, also known as Is This MF Serious? Does He Not Know We're Gonna or Eric André With His Hands Up, refers to a screencap from The Eric Andre Show showing Eric André doing a confused "what?" gesture behind his desk. The image became well-known on Twitter in early 2023 when a Twitter user named Java_jigga got banned for sharing a meme that had text reading, "Is This Nigga Serious? Does He Not Know We're Gonna Rape And Kill Him?" Java_jigga's tweet was a quote retweet of LeafyIsHere's controversial N-word tweet. Java_jigga's subsequent ban led to the image's infamy and usage on Twitter via cropped or recaptioned variations that had text reading, "Is This MF Silly?" among other similar, yet not as intense, top and bottom captions. In turn, the image's use always implied the original, controversial caption of Java_jigga's meme, acting as an inside joke. The first-known posting of the meme was on 4chan around 2016.

Origin

On November 14th, 2013, actor Lance Reddick appeared on The Eric Andre Show.^[1] Two clips from his segments were uploaded to YouTube^[2] by the official Adult Swim channel on January 7th, 2023, earning roughly 1.3 million views and 52,000 likes in three months. At the video's 1:57-minute mark, André is seen gesturing "what?" at Reddick (shown below).

The frame of André shrugging was used on 4chan's /v/^[3] board in 2016. Several years later, on February 27th, 2023, an anonymous user posted to 4chan's /tv/ ^[4] board a moldier version of the frame with an Impact font top and bottom captions reading in all caps, "IS THIS NIGGA SERIOUS? / DOES HE NOT KNOW WE'RE GONNA RAPE AND KILL HIM?" (shown below). The original thread received numerous replies and the image was soon shared elsewhere on 4chan.^[5][6]

Java_jigga's Tweet / LeafyIsHere

On April 3rd, 2023, Twitter^[7] user @Java_jigga quote retweeted an April 2nd, 2023, tweet^[9] sent by YouTuber LeafyIsHere that read, "nigga we back," after the YouTuber had returned to Twitter after a year's hiatus. Twitter^[7] user @Java_jigga quote retweeted LeafyIsHere with the aforementioned "Eric André Shrug" meme, earning roughly 11,500 likes in one day (shown below).^[8]

Spread

After @Java_jigga's QT, their account was banned before April 5th, 2023.^[10] Many of their mutuals started to chime in on the matter, centering their focus on the Twitter^[11] account @HayTheWayMedia, who posted a tweet on April 4th, 2023, that targeted a new account seemingly made by @Java_jigga after the ban. The tweet^[11] from @HayTheWayMedia tagged "@TwitterSupport" and aimed to get @Java_jigga banned again, which eventually succeeded. @HayTheWayMedia was then ratioed by Twitter^[12] user @JUNlPER, who replied to them with a cropped version of the "Eric André Shrug" meme, gaining roughly 4,700 likes in three days (shown below).

On April 5th, 2023, Twitter^[13] user @boygrrI quote retweeted conservative pundit Matt Walsh with the cropped "Eric André Shrug" meme, humorously and secretly implying the message of the original 4chan^[4] meme. The QT received roughly 30,300 likes in two days (shown below, left). In the replies, Twitter^[14] user @SewerSpawn_ tweeted a reworded version of the meme, making it read like Old English (shown below, right). The reply received roughly 1,100 likes in three days.

The memes started spreading to other platforms like Instagram^[15] going into April 2023.

Various Examples

Templates

Search Interest

Unavailable.

External References