Remembering Brandon Moore: the Rise, Peak, and Legacy of the 'What Are Those?' Creator

Is remembering Brandon Moore: the Rise, Peak, and Legacy of the 'What Are Those?' Creator really worth exploring? Read the pros and cons in our dedicated article.

Brandon Moore did not plan the clip that made him famous. While waiting during a friend's arrest processing in Berkeley, Moore observed an officer wearing generic, thick-soled black work boots. In sneaker culture, unbranded or chunky footwear had always invited neighborhood roasting. Moore leaned on the comedic tradition known locally as "capping" or "ranking." He politely called out, "Excuse me, officer, I have one question for you," before dropping his pitch into a guttural, rasping crescendo: "What are those?!"

The comedic tension relied on Moore's theatrical shift from formal politeness to unrestrained mockery. The officer kept walking, utterly unbothered, which only magnified the hilarity. When Moore uploaded the recording to Vine, users seized on the audio instantly. It captured the exact rhythm of lunch-table banter, distilled into an easily repeatable six-second burst.