# Millennial "Millennial" is a broad meme category built around generational stereotypes of people born roughly between 1981 and 1996, with jokes targeting everything from avocado toast obsessions to overpriced burger restaurants and awkward video recording habits. The term became internet shorthand for a specific cultural aesthetic and set of behaviors mocked by both older and younger generations starting in the late 2010s[3]. The meme hit peak velocity in early 2025 when TikTok users zeroed in on the "Millennial Burger Place" as the ultimate distillation of millennial culture[1]. ## Origin The earliest memes poking fun at the "expensive burger place" archetype appeared on Reddit's /r/starterpacks subreddit. On September 30, 2019, Redditor jorsiem posted a starter pack titled "Modern American Gastropub," collecting the visual clichés of these restaurants. It picked up over 4,500 upvotes[3]. A similar post by Redditor LlamaCowMeow on March 7, 2020, hit much harder, pulling in over 52,000 upvotes with a comparable premise[3]. Neither post used the word "millennial" yet, but the template was set. The "Millennial Pause" was identified separately. On November 26, 2021, TikTok user nisipisa pointed out that Taylor Swift and other millennials consistently pause at the start of their videos, coining the term[1]. The observation spread quickly as millennials recognized the habit in themselves. - **Platform:** Reddit /r/starterpacks (starter pack format), TikTok (video trend) - **Creator:** Redditor jorsiem (first "expensive burger" starter pack), TikToker @fairylights2007 (viral TikTok trend), Kyle Gordon (parody "We Are Young" song), TikToker nisipisa (coined "millennial pause") - **Date:** 2019 ## Overview Millennial memes take aim at the generation's perceived habits, aesthetics, and consumer choices. The most popular strain focuses on "Millennial Burger Places," restaurants stereotyped as overpriced joints with exposed brick walls, string lights, metal chairs, truffle fries, and menus that say "shareables" instead of "appetizers" and "handhelds" instead of "sandwiches"[3]. A separate but related format, the "Millennial Pause," mocks the characteristic beat of silence millennials leave at the start of videos while they check whether their phone is actually recording[1]. The broader "Millennial" label itself became a punchline, often deployed by Baby Boomers as a catch-all insult for anyone younger than them, regardless of whether the target was actually born in the millennial generation[2]. This misapplication of the term fed its own sub-genre of jokes. ## How It Spread On August 25, 2022, Redditor CumForChristmas posted an "expensive burger place" starter pack to /r/starterpacks that landed closer to what people would later call the Millennial Burger Place. It became one of the biggest posts in the format, earning over 79,000 upvotes[3]. The trend exploded on TikTok in February 2025. On February 11, TikToker @fairylights2007 posted a video using Kyle Gordon's parody version of "We Are Young" (dubbed the "2011 Millennial anthem") with the caption, "This song is so truffle fries overpriced burger brick walls metal tin of ketchup." The video racked up over 350,200 likes in two weeks[3]. A week later on February 18, TikToker @stop_ai_now filmed from inside a burger restaurant using the same "We Are Young" sound, writing "Guess how much the burgers are" with a broken heart emoji. That video pulled 564,000 likes in seven days[3]. In the comments, a user named jethro dropped what would become the trend's signature catchphrase: "Just two guys with a crazy idea." The comment alone got 217,900 likes[3]. By February 21, TikToker @joebro909 posted a skit explicitly titled "When you go to a Millennial burger restaurant," marking the moment the "millennial" label stuck to the format[3]. Three days later, @mangos4life06 used the Druski Dancing format to list every Millennial Burger Place cliché, earning 338,900 likes in a single day[3]. The trend got increasingly creative. On February 24, @citiesbydiana used AI voice and AI video to show late urban planner Robert Moses pitching a Millennial Burger Place with the slogan "Just two guys and a crazy idea," picking up 9,200 likes[3]. Meanwhile, the Millennial Pause spread internationally with the term used untranslated in Brazil, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Spain[1]. A related behavior, the "Gen Z Shake," was identified on January 18, 2023, describing how Gen Z users start recording just before placing their cameras on a surface, creating a signature wobble[1]. ## How to Use **Millennial Burger Place memes** typically follow one of these formats: - **Starter Pack:** Collect images of exposed brick, truffle fries, dim Edison bulb lighting, metal chairs, and a chalkboard menu into a grid with a title like "Millennial Burger Place Starter Pack" - **TikTok video:** Film yourself inside a restaurant that fits the stereotype, set to Kyle Gordon's "We Are Young" parody, and add text pointing out the price or aesthetic choices - **Catchphrase overlay:** Include "Just Two Guys With a Crazy Idea" as a fake mission statement or slogan - **List format:** Use a dancing or reaction template and list every cliché: "Yes, I'm an overpriced Millennial burger restaurant" followed by bullet points **Millennial Pause references** work best when you catch someone (often yourself) doing the pause at the start of a video, then cutting to a reaction or caption calling it out. The broader "Millennial" label gets deployed as a generational shorthand, often by Boomers targeting anyone younger or by Gen Z poking fun at habits like using the 😂 emoji, loving The Office, or saying "adulting"[2]. ## Cultural Impact The Millennial Burger Place meme turned into genuine cultural criticism. The jokes weren't just about funny restaurant names. They hit at a perceived hollowness in millennial consumer culture, where "artisanal" branding papers over $22 burgers served in tin baskets. The "Just Two Guys With a Crazy Idea" catchphrase became shorthand for a certain brand of entrepreneur-speak that millennials both produce and mock. The Millennial Pause had its own cultural moment. Kate Lindsay of *The Atlantic* wrote about the behavior becoming more noticeable as short-form video took over Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube[1]. The phenomenon sparked broader conversations about the digital generation gap, with theories suggesting the habit traces back to earlier recording devices like cassette recorders and VHS camcorders that took a split second to start[1]. Becoming aware of the pause made many millennials self-conscious about it, though most reported they couldn't stop doing it[1]. The generational use of "Millennial" as a catch-all insult also drew attention. As Urban Dictionary entries pointed out, the term was frequently aimed at people far too young to actually be millennials, with grandparents calling Fortnite-playing Gen Z kids "millennials"[2]. ## Fun Facts - The Millennial Pause was adopted as a term without translation in at least ten non-English-speaking countries[1]. - Celebrity millennial pauses were spotted in TikTok debuts by JC Chasez and Jennifer Coolidge, proving the habit crosses even the famous/regular person divide[1]. - One theory for the pause is that millennials grew up with VHS camcorders and cassette recorders that had a slight delay before recording, and the caution carried over to smartphones[1]. - The Millennial Burger Place meme existed for years under the name "expensive burger place" before the "millennial" label stuck in 2025[3]. - Urban Dictionary's top definition for "Millennial" specifically notes that "your cardiologist is a Millennial," pushing back on the stereotype that millennials are still teenagers[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the Millennial meme? The Millennial meme is a collection of internet jokes targeting the generation born roughly 1981-1996, focusing on their consumer habits, aesthetic preferences, and digital behavior. The biggest sub-trends include the Millennial Burger Place and the Millennial Pause[3][1]. ### Where did the Millennial meme come from? The burger place strain started on Reddit's /r/starterpacks in September 2019, when users began creating starter packs for "expensive burger" restaurants[3]. The Millennial Pause was coined on TikTok by user nisipisa in November 2021[1]. ### What does the Millennial meme mean? It pokes fun at perceived millennial stereotypes: overpriced artisanal food, specific restaurant aesthetics like exposed brick and Edison bulbs, and quirky digital habits like pausing before speaking on camera[3][1]. ### How do you use the Millennial meme? For burger place memes, compile images of stereotypical restaurant elements into a starter pack or film a TikTok inside such a restaurant using Kyle Gordon's "We Are Young" parody[3]. For the pause, simply catch yourself or someone else doing it. ### Is the Millennial meme still popular? Yes. The Millennial Burger Place trend saw massive growth in February 2025, with multiple TikToks earning hundreds of thousands of likes[3]. The Millennial Pause is still widely recognized and discussed[1]. ### What is a Millennial Burger Place? A stereotypical burger restaurant characterized by exposed brick walls, string lights, metal chairs, truffle fries, avocado or egg as burger toppings, and menus using terms like "shareables" and "handhelds" instead of normal menu categories[3]. ### Who created the "Just Two Guys With a Crazy Idea" catchphrase? A TikTok commenter named jethro coined it on February 18, 2025, commenting on @stop_ai_now's Millennial Burger Place video. The comment received over 217,900 likes[3]. ### What is the Millennial Pause? A pause at the beginning of videos recorded by millennials, attributed to them checking whether their device is actually recording before speaking. TikTok user nisipisa identified and named it in November 2021[1]. ### Why do millennials pause at the start of videos? One theory suggests it stems from older recording devices like VHS camcorders that had a brief delay before recording began. Millennials carried the habit forward to smartphones, even though modern devices don't have the same delay[1]. ### What is the Gen Z Shake? The Gen Z counterpart to the Millennial Pause. Instead of pausing, Gen Z users start recording right before setting their phone down on a surface, creating a brief shake at the start of their videos. The term appeared on TikTok in January 2023[1]. ### What song do Millennial Burger Place TikToks use? Most use comedian Kyle Gordon's parody version of "We Are Young" by fun., dubbed the "2011 Millennial anthem." TikToker @fairylights2007 popularized its use in the trend on February 11, 2025[3]. ### Why do Boomers call everyone a Millennial? The term is frequently misapplied by older generations as a blanket insult for anyone younger than them, including members of Gen Z and even Gen Alpha, regardless of their actual birth year[2]. ## References 1. [Millennial pause]() 2. [Millennial - Urban Dictionary]() 3. [Millennial - Know Your Meme]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/millennial Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library