What is Let's Say, Hypothetically?

It's a parody snowclone format that mocks Ben Shapiro by opening with his trademark "let's say, hypothetically" and loading the sentence with his debate filler phrases before landing on an absurd punchline.

Where did Let's Say, Hypothetically come from?

Twitter user @clithaver kicked off the written format and the dubbed video version on August 31st, 2019, sampling cadence from a 2017 Conservative Central YouTube clip of Shapiro making a climate change hypothetical.

What does Let's Say, Hypothetically mean?

It mimics the way Ben Shapiro constructs elaborate hypothetical scenarios in arguments, using his verbal tics like "for the sake of the argument" and "in fact" to deliver a joke in his style.

How do you use Let's Say, Hypothetically?

Posters open with "so let's say, hypothetically," build a wordy premise with Shapiro-isms, and twist it into a pop lyric or absurd non-sequitur, as @yourfaveweezer did with a Weezer joke.

Is Let's Say, Hypothetically still popular?

The format saw its biggest moments between late 2019 and mid-2020, including tf2vr's 151,800-note Tumblr post in January 2020, and has since lived on as a classic Shapiro copypasta template.

Let's Say, Hypothetically

2019catchphraseclassic

Published October 23, 2026

Let's Say, Hypothetically is a snowclone format parodying conservative pundit Ben Shapiro's debate mannerisms, where posters set up an absurd scenario using his trademark phrasing. Twitter user @clithaver kicked off the viral format in August 2019 with a two-part post mimicking Shapiro's cadence, and by January 2020 Tumblr users were spinning it into jokes about the Kitty Cat Dance that pulled in over 151,000 notes.

snowclone memes political satire memes copypasta memes debate memes celebrity reaction memes

Overview

The format mocks Ben Shapiro's rhetorical habit of constructing elaborate hypothetical scenarios in debates, loaded with filler like "for the sake of the argument" and "in fact" before arriving at a nonsensical conclusion3. A typical post opens with "let's say, hypothetically," then builds up a wordy premise that either collapses into a non-sequitur punchline or references a pop culture lyric the writer is pretending to analyze seriously1.

Many posts are written text parodies, but the dub video by @clithaver gave the format an audio layer, with the voice imitating Shapiro's rapid, nasal delivery3. Copypasta variants spread across Reddit's r/copypasta and dedicated copypasta sites, where users posted long-form Shapiro impressions on topics like pizza orders and song lyrics2 4.

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Origin & Background

Platform

YouTube (source clip) / Twitter (viral spread)

Creator

@clithaver

Date

2019

The source material comes from an April 26th, 2017 YouTube video titled "Ben Shapiro DESTROYS Climate Change AGAIN!!!" uploaded by Conservative Central, in which Shapiro argues against climate change concerns by asking what people would do if the ocean rose by ten feet3. On May 31st, 2019, YouTuber hbomberguy included the clip in his video "Climate Denial: A Measured Response," which drew millions of views and reintroduced the hypothetical to a wider audience5.

The meme format itself took shape on August 31st, 2019, when Twitter user @clithaver posted a two-part parody mimicking Shapiro's cadence, racking up 39,600 likes3. Later that same day, @clithaver followed up with a dubbed video version applying the voice to an absurd script, picking up 329,000 views and 17,700 likes6.

How It Spread

After @clithaver's August 2019 posts, the dub went through iFunny reuploads by user ISIS_Chan and a YouTube repost by bruh sound effect 21. The written format kept surfacing on Twitter through the fall: on October 9th, 2019, @yourfaveweezer posted a Weezer joke in the format that hit 8,800 likes7, and on November 28th, @OmegaBlack1631 shared a My Chemical Romance version that pulled over 9,300 likes1.

The biggest single hit came on January 13th, 2020, when Tumblr user tf2vr wrote a version referencing the Kitty Cat Dance, which gathered more than 151,800 notes and circulated widely over the following months1. Copypasta variants multiplied, including one posted to r/copypasta by user outofthecoral on October 28th, 20193, and compilations hosted at Copypasta Text and TwitchQuotes4. Writer Will Stephen also authored a satirical piece for The New Yorker depicting Shapiro ordering a pizza in the same voice4.

Timeline

2017-04-26

Conservative Central uploads the "Ben Shapiro DESTROYS Climate Change AGAIN!!!" video containing the ten-foot-ocean hypothetical.

2019-05-31

Hbomberguy releases "Climate Denial: A Measured Response," surfacing the clip to a comedy audience.

2019-08-31

Twitter user @clithaver posts the two-part parody and later the dubbed video that launches the format.

2019-10-09

@yourfaveweezer posts a Weezer-themed version that reaches 8,800 likes.

2019-10-28

Redditor outofthecoral posts a copypasta variant to r/copypasta.

2019-11-28

@OmegaBlack1631 posts a My Chemical Romance joke in the format.

2020-01-13

Tumblr user tf2vr publishes a Kitty Cat Dance version that collects over 151,800 notes.

2020-06

Usage picks up again across platforms through mid-June 2020[1].

How to Use This Meme

Posts typically open with "so let's say, hypothetically" and layer in Shapiro-isms like "for the sake of the argument," "in fact," and "facts don't care about your feelings." The twist is usually a pop song lyric, a cartoon reference, or an unrelated absurdity delivered in mock-serious debate style.