500 Cigarettes

2019Exploitable image / viral video clip / catchphrasesemi-active

Also known as: Five Hundred Cigarettes

500 Cigarettes is a 2019 meme from *The Orville* where aliens Bortus and Klyden order 500 cigarettes, becoming a 2024 viral video and exploitable image across YouTube, X, and Reddit.

500 Cigarettes is a meme from the sci-fi comedy series *The Orville*, originating from a Season 2 scene where alien characters Bortus and Klyden discover smoking and immediately order 500 cigarettes from the ship's matter synthesizer1. First airing in March 2019, the scene gained meme status through TikTok overstimulation videos in 2022-2023 before exploding on YouTube, X, Reddit, and iFunny in 2024 as both a viral video clip and an exploitable image format4.

the orville memessmoking memesexploitable templatesabsurdist humor memesdelayed virality memes

Overview

The meme centers on a scene from *The Orville* in which Bortus and Klyden, two Moclan crew members, try cigarettes for the first time using a futuristic matter synthesizer1. After lighting up their first cigarettes, they're so overwhelmed by the sensation that they immediately request "500 cigarettes" from the machine. The deadpan delivery and absurd escalation from one cigarette to 500 became the joke's hook.

The scene works on multiple levels: it parodies first-time smoker reactions, satirizes addiction, and plays on the sci-fi trope of aliens encountering mundane human habits1. The pile of 500 cigarettes materialized by the synthesizer also became a standalone exploitable image, inserted into various meme templates on iFunny and other platforms4.

On March 21, 2019, *The Orville* Season 2, Episode 11 titled "Lasting Impressions" aired on Fox4. The episode follows the crew discovering a time capsule from the year 2015 filled with everyday Earth items. Bortus and Klyden find cigarettes among the contents and decide to try them using the ship's matter synthesizer1.

The scene plays out with Bortus first materializing a single cigarette. Klyden picks it up and tries to eat it, prompting Bortus to explain that "it is not food"1. After learning the proper technique from Dr. Finn's notes, both aliens light up. Klyden delivers the scene's most quoted line: "I feel as if I've been standing my entire life and I just sat down"1. Overcome by the experience, Klyden then orders "500 cigarettes" from the synthesizer. The episode goes on to show both Moclans developing a severe nicotine addiction within days, owing to their species being far more susceptible to it than humans1.

Origin & Background

Platform
Fox (TV broadcast), TikTok (early virality), YouTube / iFunny (meme format spread)
Key People
Seth MacFarlane, reducedtoclear, miscerte23
Date
2019 (scene aired), 2024 (viral meme breakout)

On March 21, 2019, *The Orville* Season 2, Episode 11 titled "Lasting Impressions" aired on Fox. The episode follows the crew discovering a time capsule from the year 2015 filled with everyday Earth items. Bortus and Klyden find cigarettes among the contents and decide to try them using the ship's matter synthesizer.

The scene plays out with Bortus first materializing a single cigarette. Klyden picks it up and tries to eat it, prompting Bortus to explain that "it is not food". After learning the proper technique from Dr. Finn's notes, both aliens light up. Klyden delivers the scene's most quoted line: "I feel as if I've been standing my entire life and I just sat down". Overcome by the experience, Klyden then orders "500 cigarettes" from the synthesizer. The episode goes on to show both Moclans developing a severe nicotine addiction within days, owing to their species being far more susceptible to it than humans.

How It Spread

The scene simmered online for a few years before picking up real traction. In 2022 and 2023, the 500 Cigarettes clip went viral on TikTok through overstimulation videos, where it was combined with other fast-paced, dopamine-heavy content.

On April 24, 2023, YouTuber Game Dealer posted a song built around the scene's audio, picking up over 3,300 views in a year. The real breakout came on May 21, 2024, when YouTuber reducedtoclear uploaded a YouTube Poop in which Bortus and Klyden repeatedly order 500 cigarettes in a loop, racking up over 725,000 views within a month. On May 28, X user @Steal_your_shit reposted that YouTube Poop, where it pulled in over 1 million views and 35,000 likes in three weeks.

On June 6, 2024, Redditor miscerte23 posted a video to r/shitposting using a Yes Chad format to represent the pair ordering 500 cigarettes, earning over 5,100 upvotes in 12 days. That video was then reposted to X and Instagram, where it spread even further.

By July 2024, the meme had taken on a second life on iFunny as an exploitable image. Users started dropping the pile-of-cigarettes image into different meme templates. An early viral example from iFunny user @Saddam_Hussein01 on July 8 used the "You've Heard of the Elf on the Shelf" format, getting over 7,300 smiles. On July 11, iFunny user @_Monika_ posted a version using the "Help! He's Attacking Me!" format, which hit over 17,400 smiles in six days.

The meme also reached Urban Dictionary, where it was defined simply as what "two aliens said after smoking a cigarette". One dedicated fan on iFunny even counted the cigarettes in the pile and reported finding only 445, not 500.

Media

How to Use This Meme

The 500 Cigarettes meme works in a few ways:

As a video clip or reaction: Share the original scene (or the YouTube Poop edit) in response to anything absurdly satisfying or addictive. The format typically applies when someone discovers something they immediately want in excess, like a new show, food, or hobby.

As a catchphrase: Drop "500 cigarettes" as a punchline when someone goes from casually trying something to going all-in. The deadpan delivery is the key comedic element.

As an exploitable image: Take the image of the pile of 500 cigarettes and insert it into existing meme templates. Common formats include "You've Heard of the Elf on the Shelf," "Help! He's Attacking Me!," and comparison memes. The image of the synthesizer output tray full of cigarettes is the standard crop for this use.

As a reaction to smoking/addiction humor: The meme often pops up to poke fun at smokers or to joke about anything that provides instant, overwhelming relief from daily stress.

Cultural Impact

The 500 Cigarettes meme gave *The Orville* one of its most recognizable pop culture moments outside the show's existing fanbase. While the series already had a dedicated audience as a *Star Trek* parody, the Bortus and Klyden cigarette scene crossed over to people who had never watched the show. The Daily Dot covered the meme's rise, noting how it's used both to mock smoking and to laugh at the things people turn to for relief.

The scene also tapped into a broader internet trend of alien-encounters-mundane-human-things comedy, but the specific escalation to "500 cigarettes" gave it a punchline that worked as a standalone catchphrase outside the original context.

Fun Facts

Klyden tries to eat the cigarette before Bortus explains what it is, adding an extra layer to the scene's comedy.

In the show's lore, Moclans are more susceptible to nicotine addiction than humans, which is why Bortus and Klyden get hooked after just a few days.

Connor O'Malley posted a YouTube video in March 2020 titled "SMOKING 500 CIGARETTES FOR 5G" that got over a million views, though it's likely unrelated to *The Orville* scene.

The scene sat relatively dormant for three years before TikTok overstimulation videos brought it back into circulation in 2022.

One iFunny user's careful count of the cigarettes in the scene found only 445, sparking a minor running joke about the inaccurate number.

Derivatives & Variations

YouTube Poop edits:

reducedtoclear's looping edit where the pair endlessly orders 500 cigarettes became one of the most viewed versions of the meme[4].

Yes Chad format:

Redditor miscerte23's r/shitposting video reimagined Bortus and Klyden as Yes Chad characters, blending two meme formats[4].

iFunny exploitables:

The pile of cigarettes was dropped into templates including "Elf on the Shelf" and "Help! He's Attacking Me!"[4].

Song remixes:

Game Dealer created a musical remix using the scene's audio dialogue[4].

Cigarette count debate:

Fans repeatedly counted the cigarettes in the scene's pile, with at least one iFunny user reporting only 445[2].

Frequently Asked Questions

500 Cigarettes

2019Exploitable image / viral video clip / catchphrasesemi-active

Also known as: Five Hundred Cigarettes

500 Cigarettes is a 2019 meme from *The Orville* where aliens Bortus and Klyden order 500 cigarettes, becoming a 2024 viral video and exploitable image across YouTube, X, and Reddit.

500 Cigarettes is a meme from the sci-fi comedy series *The Orville*, originating from a Season 2 scene where alien characters Bortus and Klyden discover smoking and immediately order 500 cigarettes from the ship's matter synthesizer. First airing in March 2019, the scene gained meme status through TikTok overstimulation videos in 2022-2023 before exploding on YouTube, X, Reddit, and iFunny in 2024 as both a viral video clip and an exploitable image format.

the orville memes smoking memes exploitable templates absurdist humor memes delayed virality memes

Overview

The meme centers on a scene from *The Orville* in which Bortus and Klyden, two Moclan crew members, try cigarettes for the first time using a futuristic matter synthesizer. After lighting up their first cigarettes, they're so overwhelmed by the sensation that they immediately request "500 cigarettes" from the machine. The deadpan delivery and absurd escalation from one cigarette to 500 became the joke's hook.

The scene works on multiple levels: it parodies first-time smoker reactions, satirizes addiction, and plays on the sci-fi trope of aliens encountering mundane human habits. The pile of 500 cigarettes materialized by the synthesizer also became a standalone exploitable image, inserted into various meme templates on iFunny and other platforms.

On March 21, 2019, *The Orville* Season 2, Episode 11 titled "Lasting Impressions" aired on Fox. The episode follows the crew discovering a time capsule from the year 2015 filled with everyday Earth items. Bortus and Klyden find cigarettes among the contents and decide to try them using the ship's matter synthesizer.

The scene plays out with Bortus first materializing a single cigarette. Klyden picks it up and tries to eat it, prompting Bortus to explain that "it is not food". After learning the proper technique from Dr. Finn's notes, both aliens light up. Klyden delivers the scene's most quoted line: "I feel as if I've been standing my entire life and I just sat down". Overcome by the experience, Klyden then orders "500 cigarettes" from the synthesizer. The episode goes on to show both Moclans developing a severe nicotine addiction within days, owing to their species being far more susceptible to it than humans.

Origin & Background

Platform
Fox (TV broadcast), TikTok (early virality), YouTube / iFunny (meme format spread)
Key People
Seth MacFarlane, reducedtoclear, miscerte23
Date
2019 (scene aired), 2024 (viral meme breakout)

On March 21, 2019, *The Orville* Season 2, Episode 11 titled "Lasting Impressions" aired on Fox. The episode follows the crew discovering a time capsule from the year 2015 filled with everyday Earth items. Bortus and Klyden find cigarettes among the contents and decide to try them using the ship's matter synthesizer.

The scene plays out with Bortus first materializing a single cigarette. Klyden picks it up and tries to eat it, prompting Bortus to explain that "it is not food". After learning the proper technique from Dr. Finn's notes, both aliens light up. Klyden delivers the scene's most quoted line: "I feel as if I've been standing my entire life and I just sat down". Overcome by the experience, Klyden then orders "500 cigarettes" from the synthesizer. The episode goes on to show both Moclans developing a severe nicotine addiction within days, owing to their species being far more susceptible to it than humans.

How It Spread

The scene simmered online for a few years before picking up real traction. In 2022 and 2023, the 500 Cigarettes clip went viral on TikTok through overstimulation videos, where it was combined with other fast-paced, dopamine-heavy content.

On April 24, 2023, YouTuber Game Dealer posted a song built around the scene's audio, picking up over 3,300 views in a year. The real breakout came on May 21, 2024, when YouTuber reducedtoclear uploaded a YouTube Poop in which Bortus and Klyden repeatedly order 500 cigarettes in a loop, racking up over 725,000 views within a month. On May 28, X user @Steal_your_shit reposted that YouTube Poop, where it pulled in over 1 million views and 35,000 likes in three weeks.

On June 6, 2024, Redditor miscerte23 posted a video to r/shitposting using a Yes Chad format to represent the pair ordering 500 cigarettes, earning over 5,100 upvotes in 12 days. That video was then reposted to X and Instagram, where it spread even further.

By July 2024, the meme had taken on a second life on iFunny as an exploitable image. Users started dropping the pile-of-cigarettes image into different meme templates. An early viral example from iFunny user @Saddam_Hussein01 on July 8 used the "You've Heard of the Elf on the Shelf" format, getting over 7,300 smiles. On July 11, iFunny user @_Monika_ posted a version using the "Help! He's Attacking Me!" format, which hit over 17,400 smiles in six days.

The meme also reached Urban Dictionary, where it was defined simply as what "two aliens said after smoking a cigarette". One dedicated fan on iFunny even counted the cigarettes in the pile and reported finding only 445, not 500.

Media

How to Use This Meme

The 500 Cigarettes meme works in a few ways:

As a video clip or reaction: Share the original scene (or the YouTube Poop edit) in response to anything absurdly satisfying or addictive. The format typically applies when someone discovers something they immediately want in excess, like a new show, food, or hobby.

As a catchphrase: Drop "500 cigarettes" as a punchline when someone goes from casually trying something to going all-in. The deadpan delivery is the key comedic element.

As an exploitable image: Take the image of the pile of 500 cigarettes and insert it into existing meme templates. Common formats include "You've Heard of the Elf on the Shelf," "Help! He's Attacking Me!," and comparison memes. The image of the synthesizer output tray full of cigarettes is the standard crop for this use.

As a reaction to smoking/addiction humor: The meme often pops up to poke fun at smokers or to joke about anything that provides instant, overwhelming relief from daily stress.

Cultural Impact

The 500 Cigarettes meme gave *The Orville* one of its most recognizable pop culture moments outside the show's existing fanbase. While the series already had a dedicated audience as a *Star Trek* parody, the Bortus and Klyden cigarette scene crossed over to people who had never watched the show. The Daily Dot covered the meme's rise, noting how it's used both to mock smoking and to laugh at the things people turn to for relief.

The scene also tapped into a broader internet trend of alien-encounters-mundane-human-things comedy, but the specific escalation to "500 cigarettes" gave it a punchline that worked as a standalone catchphrase outside the original context.

Fun Facts

Klyden tries to eat the cigarette before Bortus explains what it is, adding an extra layer to the scene's comedy.

In the show's lore, Moclans are more susceptible to nicotine addiction than humans, which is why Bortus and Klyden get hooked after just a few days.

Connor O'Malley posted a YouTube video in March 2020 titled "SMOKING 500 CIGARETTES FOR 5G" that got over a million views, though it's likely unrelated to *The Orville* scene.

The scene sat relatively dormant for three years before TikTok overstimulation videos brought it back into circulation in 2022.

One iFunny user's careful count of the cigarettes in the scene found only 445, sparking a minor running joke about the inaccurate number.

Derivatives & Variations

YouTube Poop edits:

reducedtoclear's looping edit where the pair endlessly orders 500 cigarettes became one of the most viewed versions of the meme[4].

Yes Chad format:

Redditor miscerte23's r/shitposting video reimagined Bortus and Klyden as Yes Chad characters, blending two meme formats[4].

iFunny exploitables:

The pile of cigarettes was dropped into templates including "Elf on the Shelf" and "Help! He's Attacking Me!"[4].

Song remixes:

Game Dealer created a musical remix using the scene's audio dialogue[4].

Cigarette count debate:

Fans repeatedly counted the cigarettes in the scene's pile, with at least one iFunny user reporting only 445[2].

Frequently Asked Questions