# Filthy Frank Crying Filthy Frank Crying, more commonly known as "Confused Screaming," is a reaction image featuring YouTuber George Miller (Filthy Frank) holding a frying pan while screaming with an exaggerated grimace. The screenshot comes from his December 2014 video "WORST FILM EVER" and started circulating as a meme in early 2016[1]. It's used to express bewilderment or confusion when confronted with something that makes no sense. ## Origin On December 23, 2014, George Miller uploaded a video titled "WORST FILM EVER (CHRISTMAS SPECIAL)" to his TVFilthyFrank YouTube channel[1]. At the 6:35 mark, Filthy Frank screams while getting hit with a plunger by a shirtless man on the corner of a door, holding a frying pan in his hand. The video accumulated over 4 million views[1]. Miller had been running the Filthy Frank character since 2011, initially on a channel called DizastaMusic before moving to TVFilthyFrank. By late 2014, his absurdist comedy had already built a large following, and screenshots from his videos regularly circulated as reaction images across imageboards and Reddit. - **Platform:** YouTube (source video), 4chan / Reddit (meme spread) - **Creator:** George Miller (creator, as Filthy Frank) - **Date:** 2014 (source video), 2016 (meme usage) ## Overview The meme is a single screenshot from a Filthy Frank YouTube video. In the image, Miller's character holds a frying pan in his right hand while making an intense, pained grimace mid-scream. The image is typically paired with the caption "[confused screaming]" in a descriptive noise format, a style common to imageboard and Reddit humor where bracketed text narrates an emotion or action. What makes the image work so well as a reaction is its raw, exaggerated energy. Filthy Frank's entire persona was built on being as absurd and over-the-top as possible, and this particular frame captures a perfect storm of confusion, panic, and comedic distress all at once. ## How It Spread The earliest confirmed use of the Confused Screaming reaction image dates to February 22, 2016, when it was posted to the subreddit r/conservative[1]. However, the image likely circulated on 4chan before that date, as imageboard posts are harder to track. Throughout 2016 and 2017, the meme picked up significant traction on Reddit, where users applied the "[confused screaming]" caption to situations involving contradictory information, baffling news headlines, and absurd scenarios. The descriptive noise format (bracketed captions like "[visible confusion]" or "[angry typing]") was already popular, and the Filthy Frank screenshot fit perfectly into that template. The meme's spread coincided with the peak of Filthy Frank's YouTube career. By September 2017, TVFilthyFrank had reached 5.2 million subscribers. On December 29, 2017, Miller announced he was retiring the Filthy Frank character to pursue his music career as Joji, citing health problems and a desire to move on. Rather than killing the meme, his retirement gave the Confused Screaming image a kind of archival status. Fans preserved and continued sharing the reaction image even as Miller's new music under the name Joji charted on the Billboard 200. The image spread to platforms beyond Reddit, appearing regularly on Twitter, Instagram, and later TikTok as a GIF and static image. Tenor and Imgflip both host popular versions of the meme, making it easy to drop into conversations. ## How to Use The Confused Screaming meme typically works best in response to something baffling, contradictory, or overwhelming. Common usage patterns include: 1. Find a situation involving confusing or contradictory information (news headlines, social media posts, absurd rules) 2. Post the Filthy Frank screenshot as a reply or reaction 3. Optionally add the "[confused screaming]" caption above or below the image 4. The meme also works without text, as the image alone communicates pure confusion ## Cultural Impact The Confused Screaming meme is one of several reaction images spawned by the Filthy Frank universe, a comedy ecosystem that also produced the Harlem Shake viral trend. Miller's transition from Filthy Frank to Joji drew considerable media attention. In May 2020, #JojiIsOverParty trended on Twitter with over 21,000 tweets as newer Joji fans discovered Miller's controversial past as Filthy Frank. Newsweek covered the controversy, noting that many younger fans had no idea about the intentionally offensive comedy that built his original audience. Miller signed with 88Rising and released albums *Ballads 1* (2018) and *Nectar* (2020), both peaking at number three on the Billboard 200. His single "Glimpse of Us" reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022. The contrast between the screaming, frying-pan-wielding Filthy Frank meme and Miller's moody R&B career became its own running joke online. ## Fun Facts - The "WORST FILM EVER" video has an 8.8 rating on IMDb, where it's listed as a short comedy. - Miller started making Filthy Frank content while living in Japan, which is also where he was born and raised. - The frying pan in the famous screenshot was just a random prop. No cooking was involved in the scene[1]. - TVFilthyFrank reached 7.88 million subscribers and over one billion total views, despite Miller not uploading since 2017. - The "[confused screaming]" text format became so popular that people use it as standalone text in comments, even without attaching the image. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Filthy Frank Crying? Filthy Frank Crying, known as "Confused Screaming," is a reaction image showing YouTuber George Miller (as Filthy Frank) holding a frying pan while screaming with an exaggerated grimace. It's used to express confusion or bewilderment[1]. ### Where did Filthy Frank Crying come from? The image comes from a screenshot at the 6:35 mark of Filthy Frank's "WORST FILM EVER" video, uploaded to YouTube on December 23, 2014[1]. ### What does Filthy Frank Crying mean? The meme expresses intense confusion, panic, or disbelief when confronted with something baffling or contradictory. The bracketed caption "[confused screaming]" reinforces this meaning. ### How do you use Filthy Frank Crying? Post the screenshot as a reaction to confusing situations, contradictory headlines, or absurd scenarios. You can add the "[confused screaming]" caption or use the image alone. ### Is Filthy Frank Crying still popular? The meme is a classic reaction image that still sees regular use on Reddit, Twitter, and in GIF form on platforms like Tenor, though its peak was during 2016-2017. ### Who is Filthy Frank? Filthy Frank was a character played by George Kusunoki Miller, a Japanese-Australian YouTuber who ran the TVFilthyFrank channel from 2011 until December 2017. ### Why did Filthy Frank stop making videos? Miller retired the character on December 29, 2017, citing health problems, loss of interest, and his desire to pursue a serious music career as Joji. ### What is Joji's connection to the meme? Joji is the music persona of George Miller, the same person behind Filthy Frank. His transition from meme-generating YouTuber to Billboard-charting musician is one of the most dramatic career pivots in internet history. ### What video does the Confused Screaming screenshot come from? It comes from "WORST FILM EVER (CHRISTMAS SPECIAL)," uploaded December 23, 2014. The specific frame appears at the 6:35 timestamp[1]. ### Is the Filthy Frank Crying meme the same as Confused Screaming? Yes. "Confused Screaming" is the more widely used name for this specific reaction image. "Filthy Frank Crying" and "Filthy Frank Screaming" are alternate names referring to the same meme. ## References 1. [List of Internet phenomena]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/filthy-frank-crying Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library