Full Retard

2008catchphraseclassic

Full Retard is a catchphrase and reaction macro from the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder, taken from a scene where Robert Downey Jr.'s character Kirk Lazarus warns Ben Stiller's character never to 'go full retard' when portraying a disabled role. Online, the still frame and quote became a facepalm-style reply used to call a post stupid, spreading across 4chan, Facebook and MemeGenerator between 2008 and the mid 2010s.

movie quote memesreaction memescatchphrase memesdismissal memeslate 2000s memes

Overview

Full Retard is a catchphrase and reaction macro drawn from the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder, specifically the scene in which method actor Kirk Lazarus warns fellow actor Tugg Speedman never to 'go full retard' when playing a disabled character on screen1. Online, the line, along with screencaps of Robert Downey Jr. mid-lecture, worked as shorthand for calling a post, video or comment stupid enough to cross a line3.

The most common version of the macro pairs a still of Downey Jr. with the caption 'Nigga, You Just Went Full Retard,' and gets posted as a facepalm-style putdown rather than a captioned image the poster fills in themselves3.

How It Spread

The catchphrase reached 4chan on September 6, 2008 in a thread on the anime and manga board /a/, where posters applied 'full retard' to Claymore character Clare4. Through 2009 and 2010 the still frame circulated on image boards and in reaction folders as a facepalm-style reply, used the same way as 'What is this I don't even'3.

The macro moved onto mainstream platforms in 2012. A fan Facebook page titled 'Nigga, you just went full retard.' went up on May 11, 2012 and pulled in more than 2,800 likes over the following three years3. On July 17, 2012, a MemeGenerator template was uploaded, producing over 1,500 user versions and ranking as the site's 3,648th most used template by August 26, 20156. Tumblr users also picked up the Downey Jr. still as a reply macro during the same period3.

How to Use This Meme

Users typically drop either the 'Nigga, You Just Went Full Retard' screencap or the bare phrase as a reply to a thread, video or comment they consider bafflingly stupid. The image works on its own without an added caption, functioning the same way a facepalm reply does. The bare quote 'never go full retard' also gets used as a warning against a plan or take considered obviously bad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Full Retard

2008catchphraseclassic

Full Retard is a catchphrase and reaction macro from the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder, taken from a scene where Robert Downey Jr.'s character Kirk Lazarus warns Ben Stiller's character never to 'go full retard' when portraying a disabled role. Online, the still frame and quote became a facepalm-style reply used to call a post stupid, spreading across 4chan, Facebook and MemeGenerator between 2008 and the mid 2010s.

movie quote memes reaction memes catchphrase memes dismissal memes late 2000s memes

Overview

Full Retard is a catchphrase and reaction macro drawn from the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder, specifically the scene in which method actor Kirk Lazarus warns fellow actor Tugg Speedman never to 'go full retard' when playing a disabled character on screen1. Online, the line, along with screencaps of Robert Downey Jr. mid-lecture, worked as shorthand for calling a post, video or comment stupid enough to cross a line3.

The most common version of the macro pairs a still of Downey Jr. with the caption 'Nigga, You Just Went Full Retard,' and gets posted as a facepalm-style putdown rather than a captioned image the poster fills in themselves3.

How It Spread

The catchphrase reached 4chan on September 6, 2008 in a thread on the anime and manga board /a/, where posters applied 'full retard' to Claymore character Clare4. Through 2009 and 2010 the still frame circulated on image boards and in reaction folders as a facepalm-style reply, used the same way as 'What is this I don't even'3.

The macro moved onto mainstream platforms in 2012. A fan Facebook page titled 'Nigga, you just went full retard.' went up on May 11, 2012 and pulled in more than 2,800 likes over the following three years3. On July 17, 2012, a MemeGenerator template was uploaded, producing over 1,500 user versions and ranking as the site's 3,648th most used template by August 26, 20156. Tumblr users also picked up the Downey Jr. still as a reply macro during the same period3.

How to Use This Meme

Users typically drop either the 'Nigga, You Just Went Full Retard' screencap or the bare phrase as a reply to a thread, video or comment they consider bafflingly stupid. The image works on its own without an added caption, functioning the same way a facepalm reply does. The bare quote 'never go full retard' also gets used as a warning against a plan or take considered obviously bad.

Frequently Asked Questions