The Complete Explainer to the 'What Is That' Meme: Context, Audio Usage, and Variations
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
Catchphrase-driven reaction templates did not emerge overnight. They rely on an established comedic syntax popularized during the peak of Vine. In 2015, social media user Brandon Moore (known online as Young Busco) pointed his phone camera at a police officer’s utilitarian dress shoes and shouted, "What are those?" The line instantly entered urban slang, Hollywood scripts (including Marvel's Black Panther), and playground vernacular.
Understanding how reaction formats shift from visual gags to stripped audio stems explains how short-form video operates today. Below is a comparative look at the defining "What is that" reaction memes over the last decade.
| Meme Era & Variation | Original Source Context | Primary Platform Mechanism | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| "What Are Those?!" (2015, 2018) | Brandon Moore street video targeting a police officer's footwear | Six-second Vine loop with rapid camera zoom | Mocking unbranded or unfashionable footwear |
| "Brother Ew / What Is That?" (2023, 2026) | Sheikh Assim Al-Hakeem virtual lecture livestream | Isolated audio track reused across TikTok and Instagram Reels | Reacting to bad food, questionable design, or awkward social moments |
| "What Is That Melody?" (2019, 2025) | Blizzard's Overwatch character voice line (Sigma) | Gaming soundbite remixed with surreal phonk or bass drops | Highlighting bizarre auditory artifacts or sudden chaos |
The progression highlights an important platform shift. While older formats relied on the visual identity of the original creator holding the phone, modern formats discard the creator entirely. The voice becomes a decoupled asset, free to float over unrelated footage of a cat smelling a lemon or an engineer looking at messy cable management.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
