The Willem Dafoe Looking Up meme (aka the Vincent van Gogh Looking Up meme) is a still image and GIF of actor Willem Dafoe looking up at the sky. It often refers to the meme’s subject looking anxiously and intensely at something directly above them.
Meme basics:
- Meme Creator: Unknown
- Meme Type: GIF and image caption
- First Appearance: Sept. 5th, 2018 (film trailer), May 2020
- Origin Source: iFunny
- Used to Convey: intensity, anxiety, overwhelm, confusion
- Peak Popularity: April 2024
What is the Willem Dafoe Looking Up meme?
The meme is most often used as a template for various humorous and thought-provoking captions that allude to Dafoe’s intense gaze within the meme.
@kadbaine A terrible premonition #fy #fyp #fypシ #foryou #foryoupage #kadbaine #willemdafoe #willemdafoelookingup ♬ original sound – 𝞙𝝰𝗱 𝞑𝝰𝖏𝞰𝙚™
What film is the Willem Dafoe looking up meme from?
The still or short clip from the meme is from the 2018 biopic At Eternity’s Gate, in which Vincent van Gogh (played by Willem Dafoe) looks up at a darkened sky with an anxious, overwhelmed expression.
@flurrist Willem Dafoe looking up Movie: At Eternity’s Gate Song: In Essence by Ka$tro #template #meme #funny #ateternitysgate #willemdafoe ♬ original sound – Flurrist
What does the Willem Dafoe Looking Up meme mean?
The image is used to show that the meme’s subject is investigating something above them, and is often used to communicate panic, overwhelm, or anxiety.
Origin and spread
On Sept. 5th, 2018, the trailer for the Vincent van Gough biopic At Eternity’s Gate was released to the public. One scene in the trailer features Dafoe (playing van Gough) looking intensely upward at the dark blue sky, upset and overwhelmed.
In May 2020, the scene was submitted as a GIF caption template to the internet humor site iFunny. While the exact first meme using the GIF and/or still is unknown, a recognized early version of the meme comes from iFunny user Lordtard on May 22nd, 2020, with the caption “Anprims when they make a fashwave Ted Kaczynski quote but they need to use electronic music.”
On June 19, 2020 another early Willem Dafoe Looking Up GIF was reposted by iFunny, with the caption “The citizens of Bikini Bottom watching as Sandy sucks up another car with her giantess futa c*ck.”
The original GIF author is unknown, but the post gained a substantial amount of attention and reposts, creating a trend of using the Willem Dafoe Looking Up meme beyond iFunny, with several versions gaining popularity on X, Reddit, and Instagram in the upcoming years. In early April 2024 the meme’s popularity peaked.
Cultural context
Much like the meme’s own filmic origin, the Willem Dafoe Looking Up memes will often feel a bit obscure, using niche inside jokes, and specific references that not all wider audiences might understand.
The popularity of these memes are also somewhat dependent on Willem Dafoe’s career; often seeing a spike in use and circulation around times when films starring Dafoe are released to the public.
Variations
The variations on these memes are very entertaining, and range from a variety of subjects, senses of humor, and cynical outlooks. While Dafoe’s expression in the meme is bleak and forlorn, the meme’s future is looking good, bringing sardonic and cutting humor to the masses.
@mr.fries03 The new season is really fun #fyp #fypシ #fortnite #new#newseason #meme #williamdefoe #zeus #greektiktok #fy #fishstick #fortnitebr #fortnitefunny #fortnitedance ♬ оригинальный звук – Black Hole Trap
@slikomak What do you mean i shoudn’t? #fyp #meme #solareclipse #willemdafoe ♬ Where Is My Mind? – Pixies
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