# 500 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[1]. 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[4]. ## Origin On March 21, 2019, *The Orville* Season 2, Episode 11 titled "Lasting Impressions" aired on Fox[4]. 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[1]. 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 humans[1]. - **Platform:** Fox (TV broadcast), TikTok (early virality), YouTube / iFunny (meme format spread) - **Creator:** Seth MacFarlane (show creator), reducedtoclear (viral YouTube Poop), miscerte23 (viral Reddit edit) - **Date:** 2019 (scene aired), 2024 (viral meme breakout) ## 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[1]. 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[1]. 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[4]. ## 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[4]. 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[4]. 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[4]. 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[4]. 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[4]. That video was then reposted to X and Instagram, where it spread even further[4]. 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[4]. 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[4]. 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[4]. The meme also reached Urban Dictionary, where it was defined simply as what "two aliens said after smoking a cigarette"[5]. One dedicated fan on iFunny even counted the cigarettes in the pile and reported finding only 445, not 500[2]. ## How to Use 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[4]. **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[1]. ## 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[1]. 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[1]. 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[3]. ## Fun Facts - Klyden tries to eat the cigarette before Bortus explains what it is, adding an extra layer to the scene's comedy[1]. - 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[1]. - 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[4]. - The scene sat relatively dormant for three years before TikTok overstimulation videos brought it back into circulation in 2022[4]. - One iFunny user's careful count of the cigarettes in the scene found only 445, sparking a minor running joke about the inaccurate number[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is 500 Cigarettes? 500 Cigarettes is a meme from *The Orville* Season 2, Episode 11, where alien characters Bortus and Klyden try smoking and immediately order 500 cigarettes from the ship's matter synthesizer[1]. ### Where did 500 Cigarettes come from? The scene aired on March 21, 2019, on Fox as part of *The Orville* episode "Lasting Impressions"[4]. It became a meme through TikTok overstimulation videos in 2022-2023 and YouTube edits in 2024[4]. ### What does 500 Cigarettes mean? The meme represents instant, overwhelming addiction or satisfaction. It's used to joke about discovering something so good you immediately want a ridiculous amount of it[1]. ### How do you use 500 Cigarettes? Share the video clip or catchphrase when someone goes from casually trying something to being completely hooked. The pile-of-cigarettes image can also be dropped into various exploitable templates[4]. ### Is 500 Cigarettes still popular? The meme had its biggest viral wave in mid-2024 across YouTube, X, Reddit, and iFunny[4]. As of late 2024, it was still circulating as an exploitable image on iFunny[4]. ### Who are Bortus and Klyden? They're Moclan crew members on *The Orville*, a married couple from an all-male alien species. Their species turns out to be especially susceptible to nicotine addiction[1]. ### What is the most famous quote from the scene? Klyden's line "I feel as if I've been standing my entire life and I just sat down" is the most frequently quoted moment from the scene[1]. ### What YouTube video made the meme go viral? reducedtoclear's YouTube Poop uploaded on May 21, 2024, which looped Bortus and Klyden ordering 500 cigarettes, hit over 725,000 views in a month[4]. ### Are there actually 500 cigarettes in the scene? At least one dedicated fan counted and reported finding only 445 cigarettes in the pile, not 500[2]. ### What is an iFunny exploitable? On iFunny, users took the image of the 500-cigarette pile and inserted it into other meme templates like "Elf on the Shelf" and "Help! He's Attacking Me!" starting in July 2024[4]. ## References 1. [500 Cigarettes Meme: 'The Orville' Scene, Explained]() 2. [On SAY, we for - iFunny]() 3. [Winy GOOD SO BAD I COULD DIE!! I COULD DIE!! - iFunny]() 4. [500 Cigarettes - Know Your Meme]() 5. [CVS Pharmacy]() 6. [500 Cigarettes - Urban Dictionary]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/500-cigarettes Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library