Patrick Bateman and Joker Lightning Eyes
Part of a series on Sigma Grindset / Hustle Culture Memes. [View Related Entries]
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About
Patrick Bateman and Joker Lightning Eyes refers to a Sigma edit video in which American Psycho character Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale) and Joaquin Phoenix's Joker from the 2019 film are shown with glowing, electric eyes resembling lightning. Also, Brazilian phonk music playing. In edits, the video indicates that a precursor video (often showing a man succeeding in an act or being inventive) is a "sigma" moment. The Lightning Eyes format was used en masse on Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts in early 2024. The format was later parodied by meme creators on Twitter / X (and elsewhere) who thought it was cringe, similar to jokes made about other Sigma edit tropes like Phonk Trollge, the Bryan Cranston Barbershop Quartet and AI Rick Laughing. Overall, the aforementioned Sigma edits memes were likened to the term brain rot.
Origin
Currently, the earliest discovered edit to use the Patrick Bateman and Joker Lightning Eyes video was a Reel posted by Instagram[1] user @troll_face1997 on December 31st, 2023, gaining over 3,200 likes in six months (shown below).
Spread
In the following days, Instagram user @troll_face1997 used the Patrick Bateman and Joker Lightning Eyes format multiple times, further indicating that they created it. For instance, on the day after the original video, January 1st, 2024, @troll_face1997 posted another Reel to Instagram[2] using the format, gaining over 279,000 likes in five months (shown below, left).
On March 1st, @troll_face1997 posted another Reel on Instagram[3] that used the Lightning Eyes video, receiving roughly 1.4 million likes in three months (shown below, right).
On April 9th, 2024, X[4] user @Keegan59992745 reposted one of @troll_face1997's Reels,[5] showing a man and a woman blowing out birthday candles and using the same number "2" candle, revealing that the man was 21 and the woman 24. @Keegan59992745 wrote, "wtf does this even mean," receiving roughly 25,000 likes in two months (shown below).
wtf does this even mean pic.twitter.com/Y2y1rf0gAX
— Keegan (@Keegan59992745) April 10, 2024
On May 1st, X[6] user @blephin_ reposted a different Reel that used the Lightning Eyes video, writing, "Sigma edits have become incomprehensible," earning roughly 21,000 likes in a month (shown below).
Sigma edits have become incomprehensible pic.twitter.com/steE6jSeie
— hydra (@blephin_) May 1, 2024
Parodies of the format ensued going into mid-2024. For instance, on May 24th, 2024, Instagram[7] user @stewie.feels20 posted an Overstimulation Video that combined multiple Sigma Edit tropes and used the No Problem! Here’s the Information About the Mercedes CLR GTR caption, gaining over 35,100 likes in 11 days (shown below).
On June 2nd, 2024, X[8] user @realwow_mao tweeted an Overstimulation Video that also combined multiple Sigma edit tropes, additionally using the Ambatukam sound and the Yapping IdkSterling format. Over two days, the video received roughly 212,000 views and 12,000 likes (shown below).
— gay_mao (@realwow_mao) June 2, 2024
Various Examples
we have reached maximum brainrot pic.twitter.com/Zq7LvG6vWb
— Crafter (@Craftiest_) June 2, 2024
— seht (@chudyaoi) May 31, 2024
Search Interest
Unavailable.
External References
[1] Instagram – @troll_face1997
[2] Instagram – @troll_face1997
[3] Instagram – @troll_face1997
[4] X – @Keegan59992745
[5] Instagram – @troll_face1997
[7] Instagram – @stewie.feels20
[8] X – @realwow_mao
_(slowed_n_reverbed)_0-46_screenshot.png "Sergio Valentino's \"Drive Forever\" / Sigma Male Theme Song"){kind=icon}
