# Jesse What The Fuck Are You Talking About > Jesse, What the Fuck Are You Talking About is a 2020 image-macro meme from Breaking Bad, placing modern internet slang in Jesse's mouth while Walter reacts with bewildered frustration. "Jesse, What the Fuck Are You Talking About" is an image macro and dialogue meme format based on *Breaking Bad* characters Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Originating on iFunny in March 2020, the format places modern internet slang in Jesse's mouth while Walter reacts with bewildered frustration. The meme became a universal reaction to incomprehensible online speech and spread rapidly across Twitter, Instagram, and iFunny throughout spring 2020. ## Origin On July 17, 2011, *Breaking Bad* Season 4 premiered with the episode "Box Cutter" on AMC[5]. The episode features Walt and Jesse eating breakfast at a Denny's, providing one of the two key source images for the meme. Years later, on October 11, 2019, *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie* released on Netflix[6]. A flashback scene in the film shows Walter and Jesse dining together at a restaurant, discussing food and their futures. This second scene became the primary visual template. The first known meme using this format appeared on March 13, 2020, when iFunny user CosmicRewind posted a multi-panel edit using the *El Camino* restaurant scene[4]. In the post, Jesse tries to explain what "based" means to Walter, who grows increasingly confused and demands Jesse explain himself[2]. The format was straightforward: Jesse speaks in internet dialect, Walt doesn't get it. - **Platform:** iFunny (first post), Twitter (viral spread) - **Creator:** CosmicRewind (original iFunny post), @garfpoop (Twitter viral format) - **Date:** 2020 ## Overview The meme follows a simple formula: a multi-panel image shows Jesse Pinkman rambling to Walter White using dense internet slang, Gen Z vocabulary, or deliberately absurd online jargon. Walter, visibly confused or annoyed, responds with some variation of "Jesse, what the fuck are you talking about?" The humor comes from the contrast between Jesse's chaotic modern-internet energy and Walter's straight-laced, no-nonsense reaction[1]. Most versions use screenshots from two specific dining scenes in the *Breaking Bad* franchise. The first comes from the Season 4 premiere "Box Cutter," where Walt and Jesse eat at Denny's[5]. The second, and more commonly used, comes from *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie*, where the two share a flashback meal at a restaurant[6]. The framing of these scenes, with the characters sitting across from each other in a booth, makes them natural templates for back-and-forth dialogue edits. Notably, Walter White never actually says this exact phrase in the show[3]. The line is an internet distillation of Walt's general exasperation with Jesse across five seasons of the series. It's a "Beam me up, Scotty" situation: the quote feels so right that most people assume it's real[3]. ## How It Spread The meme sat relatively dormant for a few weeks after CosmicRewind's post. Then on April 6, 2020, Twitter user @garfpoop posted a version using the Mommy GF/Return to Tradition format, picking up over 860 retweets and 5,400 likes within two months[4]. Two days later, on April 8, 2020, Twitter user @ohip13 posted a Joker/Doomer/Blackpill recaption that hit 2,400 retweets and 15,100 likes[4]. These two posts cracked the meme wide open. By April 10, iFunny reposts by users Penns and Gxbe racked up over 3,600 and 4,000 smiles respectively[7]. On April 13, Instagram user bearboob posted a version that pulled in over 37,600 likes in two months[4]. Twitter user @sunbodied followed on April 17 with a post earning 380 retweets and 1,300 likes[4]. The format split along platform lines during this period. Twitter creators mostly used the *El Camino* clip and video format, while iFunny and Instagram favored the static image macro approach[4]. The meme spread to Facebook and other platforms through late April and May 2020, riding the wave of pandemic-era online activity. By 2023, the meme saw a major resurgence on TikTok and Reddit[3]. Users started deploying it as a reaction to "schizoposting," those rambling, stream-of-consciousness text blocks that read like someone hasn't slept in days. Voice edits where someone impersonates Jesse spouting internet slang while a Walter impression responds became especially popular[1]. The format also spawned crossover jokes with other *Breaking Bad* memes, including a mashup where Jesse tells Walt about *Rick and Morty*'s Pickle Rick episode[2]. ## How to Use The format typically works in one of two ways: 1. **Static image macro:** Take a screenshot of Walt and Jesse at the diner (usually from *El Camino*). Add text where Jesse says something packed with internet slang, meme references, or deliberately incomprehensible jargon. Walt's response is a variation of "Jesse, what the fuck are you talking about?" 2. **Voice edit / video:** Record or use AI-generated voices imitating Jesse and Walt. Jesse delivers a monologue full of current online terminology (e.g., "Yo Mr. White, that bussy was so sigma it got ratioed in 4K, fr fr, no cap"). Walt responds with confused anger[1]. ## Cultural Impact The meme tapped into a real generational language gap. As internet slang evolved faster and faster through the early 2020s, "Jesse, what the fuck are you talking about" became a shorthand for anyone overwhelmed by the pace of online vocabulary shifts[3]. It works in group chats, comment sections, and quote tweets as a one-line dismissal of any message that reads like gibberish. Urban Dictionary's top entry defines it as "a statement that can be made when one around you says something that is complete nonsense, like excessive usage of modern internet slang or memes in regular conversation"[1]. The definition itself nods to the voice edit tradition, noting the meme originated from "voice edits of Jesse Pinkman and Walter White from Breaking Bad in diners"[1]. The meme's longevity owes a lot to Bryan Cranston's face. As one writer noted, his expression isn't just anger: "it's a mix of disappointment, exhaustion, and a tiny bit of 'I might actually have a stroke if you keep talking'"[3]. That specificity of emotion gives the template more range than a simple angry reaction image. ## Fun Facts - Walter White never actually says "Jesse, what the fuck are you talking about" in *Breaking Bad*. The internet condensed five seasons of his frustration into a single fictional quote[3]. - The *Box Cutter* episode that provides one of the meme's source images was watched by 2.58 million households and was the most-watched *Breaking Bad* episode until the Season 5 premiere[5]. - *El Camino*, which provides the more popular source image, won Best Movie Made for Television at the Critics' Choice Television Awards[6]. - The meme's first viral post on iFunny was specifically about explaining the word "based," which was itself a relatively new piece of internet slang in early 2020[4]. - The format bridged a rare gap between iFunny and Twitter meme cultures, which typically operate in separate ecosystems[4]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is "Jesse, What the Fuck Are You Talking About"? It's a meme format using *Breaking Bad* characters where Jesse Pinkman speaks in heavy internet slang and Walter White responds with confusion and profanity. The format uses screenshots from dining scenes in the show and *El Camino*[4]. ### Where did "Jesse, What the Fuck Are You Talking About" come from? The first known version was posted on iFunny by user CosmicRewind on March 13, 2020, using a scene from *El Camino* where Jesse tries to explain the word "based" to Walt[4]. ### What does "Jesse, What the Fuck Are You Talking About" mean? It's used as a reaction to anything incomprehensible, especially when someone uses excessive internet slang, meme references, or nonsensical jargon in conversation[1]. ### How do you use "Jesse, What the Fuck Are You Talking About"? Either create an image macro with Jesse saying something full of internet slang and Walt reacting with confusion, or use/create a voice edit video with the same dynamic[1]. ### Is "Jesse, What the Fuck Are You Talking About" still popular? Yes. The meme saw a major resurgence in 2023 on TikTok and Reddit, particularly as a reaction to "schizoposting" and absurdist text posts[3]. ### Does Walter White actually say this line in Breaking Bad? No. The exact phrase is an internet creation. Walt says similar things like "What is wrong with you?" throughout the series, but the specific catchphrase was invented by meme creators[3]. ### What scenes are used in the meme? Two main scenes: the Denny's breakfast from the Season 4 premiere "Box Cutter" (2011) and a flashback restaurant scene from *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie* (2019)[5][6]. ### Who started the meme? iFunny user CosmicRewind posted the first known version on March 13, 2020. Twitter users @garfpoop and @ohip13 drove the viral spread in April 2020[4]. ### Why did the meme go viral in April 2020? The format hit at the start of global COVID-19 lockdowns, when online activity surged. @garfpoop's April 6 post and @ohip13's April 8 post together accumulated over 20,000 likes and kicked off widespread adoption[4]. ### What's the connection to the "Jesse, we need to cook" meme? They're separate memes from the same source material that frequently cross over. Both use the Walt-Jesse dynamic but with different punchlines and formats[3]. ## References 1. [Picture memes Ol6mM0zU7 by CosmicRewind_2020: 88 comments - iFunny]() 2. [Picture memes BTuCPpYZ7 by Penns: 20 comments - iFunny]() 3. [Jesse, What the Fuck Are You Talking About - Know Your Meme]() 4. [Fuck]() 5. [Jesse, What the Fuck Are You Talking About - Urban Dictionary]() 6. [Box Cutter (Breaking Bad)]() 7. [El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie]() 8. [Box Cutter (Breaking Bad) - Wikipedia]() 9. [El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie - Wikipedia]() 10. [Jesse What Are You Talking About: Why This Meme Still Breaks the Internet - Thelightshot]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/jesse-what-the-fuck-are-you-talking-about Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library