Dude Check The News It Doesnt Matter What Channel

2024Green screen / exploitable video templatesemi-active

Also known as: Check the News Smiling Friends · It Doesn't Matter What Channel

"Dude, Check the News, It Doesn't Matter What Channel" is a green screen meme format from the Adult Swim animated series *Smiling Friends*. It originated from a scene in the season two premiere episode "Mr. President," which aired on May 12, 2024, where the character Charlie urgently tells Pim to turn on the news2. The clip became an exploitable template within a day of airing, with creators replacing both the TV footage and the room background to recontextualize the scene for comedic effect.

Overview

The meme uses a short clip from *Smiling Friends* in which Charlie, visibly alarmed, tells his co-worker Pim to check the news on any channel. Pim turns on the television and sees chaotic scenes of destruction playing on the broadcast. A green screen version of the clip replaced both the TV screen and the room's background, letting editors insert any footage or imagery they wanted into the scene. The template works because the dialogue is urgent and non-specific. Charlie never says *what* happened, just that it's on every channel. That vagueness makes it perfect for inserting absurd, niche, or topical content as the "breaking news."

The meme also carries a layer of self-reference. Zach Hadel, who co-created *Smiling Friends* and voices several characters, had a viral moment on the *OneyPlays* YouTube channel where he shouted "they hit the Pentagon" and "turn on the TV, it doesn't matter what channel" in a similar panicked tone. The in-show scene appears to be a deliberate callback to that moment.

On May 12, 2024, *Smiling Friends* season two episode two, titled "Mr. President," premiered on Adult Swim. The episode features a scene where Charlie tells Pim, "Dude, check the news, it doesn't matter what channel," prompting Pim to switch on the TV and watch footage of chaos unfolding in the streets.

The very next day, May 13, YouTuber Murdoink (operating the channel Green Screen Videos by Murdoink) uploaded a version of the scene with green screens edited over both the television and the room background2. This template made the clip instantly exploitable. Murdoink also posted the green screen to their X account (@Murdoink), where it picked up over 10,000 likes and 1,500 reposts within 10 days.

Origin & Background

Platform
Adult Swim (source scene), YouTube / X (meme format)
Key People
Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, Murdoink
Date
2024

On May 12, 2024, *Smiling Friends* season two episode two, titled "Mr. President," premiered on Adult Swim. The episode features a scene where Charlie tells Pim, "Dude, check the news, it doesn't matter what channel," prompting Pim to switch on the TV and watch footage of chaos unfolding in the streets.

The very next day, May 13, YouTuber Murdoink (operating the channel Green Screen Videos by Murdoink) uploaded a version of the scene with green screens edited over both the television and the room background2. This template made the clip instantly exploitable. Murdoink also posted the green screen to their X account (@Murdoink), where it picked up over 10,000 likes and 1,500 reposts within 10 days.

How It Spread

The template took off the same day Murdoink posted it. On May 13, 2024, X user @baldwinvoices shared an edited version that pulled in over 19,000 likes within 10 days1. That same day, @JtasticVA posted an edit referencing the video game series *Persona*, which collected over 13,000 likes in the same timeframe.

By May 14, the format had migrated to YouTube, where creator skarm uploaded a version that hit over 30,000 views in nine days. On May 16, X user @ther1zzmeister posted what might be the most meta version of the meme: they placed a clip of Zach Hadel's original *OneyPlays* "they hit the Pentagon" moment onto the TV screen, closing the loop between the show's reference and its real-life inspiration. That edit earned over 2,900 likes in a week1.

The format's spread was fast but concentrated. Most of the early viral activity happened on X and YouTube within the first week of the episode's airing, driven by the *Smiling Friends* fanbase and voice acting community.

How to Use This Meme

The "Dude, Check the News" format typically follows a simple structure:

1

The clip plays with Charlie's original dialogue: "Dude, check the news, it doesn't matter what channel."

2

The room background is replaced with a setting relevant to the joke (a bedroom, an office, a specific fandom's world).

3

The TV screen shows whatever "breaking news" the creator wants. This is where the punchline lives.

4

Pim reacts to the footage as if watching real chaos.

Fun Facts

The scene is widely believed to be a direct reference to Zach Hadel's viral *OneyPlays* moment, where he shouted about the Pentagon being hit and urged viewers to turn on any channel.

The green screen template was created and shared within 24 hours of the episode airing, making it one of the fastest meme turnarounds for a *Smiling Friends* scene2.

Murdoink's green screen version spread across two platforms simultaneously (YouTube and X), seeding the meme in both video-editing and social media communities at once.

The meme's effectiveness hinges on Charlie never specifying *what* is on the news, leaving the punchline entirely up to the editor.

Derivatives & Variations

OneyPlays Pentagon edit:

@ther1zzmeister's version placing Zach Hadel's original "they hit the Pentagon" clip onto the TV, directly connecting the meme to its likely inspiration.

Persona edit:

@JtasticVA's version referencing the *Persona* game series, one of the earliest and most popular fandom-specific versions.

Voice actor community edits:

Multiple voice actors and impressionists on X created versions using their own character work, contributing to the meme's early spread[1].

Frequently Asked Questions

Dude Check The News It Doesnt Matter What Channel

2024Green screen / exploitable video templatesemi-active

Also known as: Check the News Smiling Friends · It Doesn't Matter What Channel

"Dude, Check the News, It Doesn't Matter What Channel" is a green screen meme format from the Adult Swim animated series *Smiling Friends*. It originated from a scene in the season two premiere episode "Mr. President," which aired on May 12, 2024, where the character Charlie urgently tells Pim to turn on the news2. The clip became an exploitable template within a day of airing, with creators replacing both the TV footage and the room background to recontextualize the scene for comedic effect.

Overview

The meme uses a short clip from *Smiling Friends* in which Charlie, visibly alarmed, tells his co-worker Pim to check the news on any channel. Pim turns on the television and sees chaotic scenes of destruction playing on the broadcast. A green screen version of the clip replaced both the TV screen and the room's background, letting editors insert any footage or imagery they wanted into the scene. The template works because the dialogue is urgent and non-specific. Charlie never says *what* happened, just that it's on every channel. That vagueness makes it perfect for inserting absurd, niche, or topical content as the "breaking news."

The meme also carries a layer of self-reference. Zach Hadel, who co-created *Smiling Friends* and voices several characters, had a viral moment on the *OneyPlays* YouTube channel where he shouted "they hit the Pentagon" and "turn on the TV, it doesn't matter what channel" in a similar panicked tone. The in-show scene appears to be a deliberate callback to that moment.

On May 12, 2024, *Smiling Friends* season two episode two, titled "Mr. President," premiered on Adult Swim. The episode features a scene where Charlie tells Pim, "Dude, check the news, it doesn't matter what channel," prompting Pim to switch on the TV and watch footage of chaos unfolding in the streets.

The very next day, May 13, YouTuber Murdoink (operating the channel Green Screen Videos by Murdoink) uploaded a version of the scene with green screens edited over both the television and the room background2. This template made the clip instantly exploitable. Murdoink also posted the green screen to their X account (@Murdoink), where it picked up over 10,000 likes and 1,500 reposts within 10 days.

Origin & Background

Platform
Adult Swim (source scene), YouTube / X (meme format)
Key People
Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, Murdoink
Date
2024

On May 12, 2024, *Smiling Friends* season two episode two, titled "Mr. President," premiered on Adult Swim. The episode features a scene where Charlie tells Pim, "Dude, check the news, it doesn't matter what channel," prompting Pim to switch on the TV and watch footage of chaos unfolding in the streets.

The very next day, May 13, YouTuber Murdoink (operating the channel Green Screen Videos by Murdoink) uploaded a version of the scene with green screens edited over both the television and the room background2. This template made the clip instantly exploitable. Murdoink also posted the green screen to their X account (@Murdoink), where it picked up over 10,000 likes and 1,500 reposts within 10 days.

How It Spread

The template took off the same day Murdoink posted it. On May 13, 2024, X user @baldwinvoices shared an edited version that pulled in over 19,000 likes within 10 days1. That same day, @JtasticVA posted an edit referencing the video game series *Persona*, which collected over 13,000 likes in the same timeframe.

By May 14, the format had migrated to YouTube, where creator skarm uploaded a version that hit over 30,000 views in nine days. On May 16, X user @ther1zzmeister posted what might be the most meta version of the meme: they placed a clip of Zach Hadel's original *OneyPlays* "they hit the Pentagon" moment onto the TV screen, closing the loop between the show's reference and its real-life inspiration. That edit earned over 2,900 likes in a week1.

The format's spread was fast but concentrated. Most of the early viral activity happened on X and YouTube within the first week of the episode's airing, driven by the *Smiling Friends* fanbase and voice acting community.

How to Use This Meme

The "Dude, Check the News" format typically follows a simple structure:

1

The clip plays with Charlie's original dialogue: "Dude, check the news, it doesn't matter what channel."

2

The room background is replaced with a setting relevant to the joke (a bedroom, an office, a specific fandom's world).

3

The TV screen shows whatever "breaking news" the creator wants. This is where the punchline lives.

4

Pim reacts to the footage as if watching real chaos.

Fun Facts

The scene is widely believed to be a direct reference to Zach Hadel's viral *OneyPlays* moment, where he shouted about the Pentagon being hit and urged viewers to turn on any channel.

The green screen template was created and shared within 24 hours of the episode airing, making it one of the fastest meme turnarounds for a *Smiling Friends* scene2.

Murdoink's green screen version spread across two platforms simultaneously (YouTube and X), seeding the meme in both video-editing and social media communities at once.

The meme's effectiveness hinges on Charlie never specifying *what* is on the news, leaving the punchline entirely up to the editor.

Derivatives & Variations

OneyPlays Pentagon edit:

@ther1zzmeister's version placing Zach Hadel's original "they hit the Pentagon" clip onto the TV, directly connecting the meme to its likely inspiration.

Persona edit:

@JtasticVA's version referencing the *Persona* game series, one of the earliest and most popular fandom-specific versions.

Voice actor community edits:

Multiple voice actors and impressionists on X created versions using their own character work, contributing to the meme's early spread[1].

Frequently Asked Questions