Side Eye

2013Reaction image / catchphrase / video memeactive

Also known as: Side-Eye · Sidelong Glance · Bombastic Side Eye

Side Eye is a 2013 reaction-image meme popularized by Chloe Moretz's skeptical sideways glance, expressing suspicion and disapproval through a single, instantly recognizable facial expression.

Side eye is a universal facial expression turned internet staple, describing the act of looking sideways at someone without turning your head to convey suspicion, disapproval, or judgment. The term dates back to at least 1797 in print3, but exploded as a meme format in the 2010s through viral moments like Side Eyeing Chloe (2013), Michelle Obama's inauguration glance (2017), and the "bombastic side eye" TikTok audio trend of 20234. As both a reaction image category and a verbal catchphrase, side eye is one of the most versatile and enduring meme genres online.

facial expression memesreaction memeschild virality memestiktok sound trendssarcasm memes

Overview

Side eye refers to a sideways glance made without turning your head, usually aimed at expressing doubt, scorn, annoyance, or silent judgment. It's a look everyone recognizes and most people have given at least once. Online, the expression has taken countless forms: still images of toddlers, celebrities, cartoon characters, and cats all frozen mid-glance. The meme works because it needs zero words to land7. A single screenshot of someone looking sideways says "I can't believe what I'm seeing" louder than any caption could.

The meme exists as both a visual format (reaction images and GIFs) and a verbal one, with phrases like "side eye" and "bombastic side eye" used as standalone commentary on TikTok and Twitter6. Merriam-Webster defines it as "a sidelong glance or gaze especially when expressing scorn, suspicion, disapproval, or veiled curiosity"3.

The phrase "side eye" is far older than the internet. The earliest known written use appeared on March 19, 1797, in the periodical *Remembrancer for Lord's Day Evenings*, which read: "Our being in Adam has been looked on with a side eye"3. James Joyce used the term in *Ulysses* in 1922, writing "A side eye at my Hamlet hat"4.

As a verb, the earliest documented usage dates to 1916 in *The Arizona Republican*: "In his mind's-eye he saw himself associating with actor-folk, who invariably side-eye him"3. But the term stayed relatively obscure until the late 2000s, when it began appearing in major publications with increasing frequency3.

The meme's defining moment came on September 12, 2013, when YouTuber KAftC (Katie Clem) uploaded a video titled "Lily's Disneyland Surprise… AGAIN!" showing her two daughters reacting to a surprise Disneyland trip5. While older sister Lily burst into tears of joy, two-year-old Chloe gave the camera a bewildered sideways glance that perfectly captured the side eye expression1. Screenshots and GIFs of Chloe's face spread across Tumblr and Reddit almost immediately, earning her the nickname "Side Eyeing Chloe"5.

Origin & Background

Platform
YouTube (Side Eyeing Chloe video), Twitter / Tumblr (viral spread)
Key People
Katie Clem, Chloe Clem, Malaika Norman, @cynthiammasi
Date
2013 (viral meme breakout)

The phrase "side eye" is far older than the internet. The earliest known written use appeared on March 19, 1797, in the periodical *Remembrancer for Lord's Day Evenings*, which read: "Our being in Adam has been looked on with a side eye". James Joyce used the term in *Ulysses* in 1922, writing "A side eye at my Hamlet hat".

As a verb, the earliest documented usage dates to 1916 in *The Arizona Republican*: "In his mind's-eye he saw himself associating with actor-folk, who invariably side-eye him". But the term stayed relatively obscure until the late 2000s, when it began appearing in major publications with increasing frequency.

The meme's defining moment came on September 12, 2013, when YouTuber KAftC (Katie Clem) uploaded a video titled "Lily's Disneyland Surprise… AGAIN!" showing her two daughters reacting to a surprise Disneyland trip. While older sister Lily burst into tears of joy, two-year-old Chloe gave the camera a bewildered sideways glance that perfectly captured the side eye expression. Screenshots and GIFs of Chloe's face spread across Tumblr and Reddit almost immediately, earning her the nickname "Side Eyeing Chloe".

How It Spread

Chloe's side eye became one of the fastest-spreading reaction images of 2013. On Tumblr, GIFs contrasting the two sisters' reactions picked up 895,700 notes in less than a month. BuzzFeed ran an article in November 2013 calling Chloe "the patron saint of Tumblr" and "the queen and goddess of the internet". Photoshopped versions placing Chloe's face onto celebrities were collected on a dedicated Tumblr blog called "Chloe Queen of Everything".

The meme brought unexpected fame and financial relief to the Clem family, who were struggling at the time. "10 years ago, we were so poor," Katie Clem later told People Magazine. "This happened to us, and we're like, 'What? We can pay bills'". By May 2017, Chloe's Instagram posted an image used in an advertisement for Google, which pulled over 333,000 likes in under a year. The family also traveled to Brazil in 2017, where Chloe's face appeared on billboards across São Paulo, and they were "swarmed" by hundreds of fans.

On January 20, 2017, a different side eye moment went viral when Michelle Obama received a Tiffany's box from Melania Trump at Donald Trump's inauguration. Obama's brief, uncertain glance at a nearby camera was widely interpreted as a side eye, sparking a wave of jokes on Twitter. Shortly after, in February 2017, Merriam-Webster officially added "side-eye" to its dictionary, tweeting that the earliest written example dated to 1797.

During the 2018 Winter Olympics, another side eye moment caught fire when Twitter user @flyosity shared a clip of Kim Yo Jong standing behind Mike Pence, and Business Insider described the look as a "side-eye," with the article receiving over 280,000 shares in three days.

The format experienced a major revival in January 2023 when TikToker @cynthiammasi's audio clip saying "side eyes, side eyes" while telling a story became a viral sound. Within two months, the audio appeared in over 205,000 TikTok videos. Then TikToker Malaika Norman escalated things with her now-iconic phrase "bombastic side eye, criminal offensive side eye". The phrase hit Urban Dictionary shortly after, and a wave of videos translating it into other languages spawned their own viral followings. One TikTok by @itsmacy.nichole using the audio hit 18.9 million plays and 4.3 million likes in a single month.

Also in late 2023, a cat named Mr. Fresh went viral on TikTok via the Hello Street Cat app, a Chinese platform that livestreams stray cat feeding stations. Mr. Fresh's suspicious sideways stares at his food and the camera made him an instant side eye icon. In early 2024, Chinese internet trolls threatened the cat, but he was safely caught and adopted by a family before anything happened.

Platforms

RedditTwitterTikTokInstagram

Timeline

2021

Side Eye first appears online

2021

Gains traction on social media

2022

Reaches peak popularity

2023-01-01

Side Eye reached mainstream popularity and media coverage

2024-01-01

Brands and companies started using Side Eye in marketing

2025-01-01

Side Eye is still actively used and shared across platforms

View on Google Trends

Media

How to Use This Meme

Side eye memes come in several forms:

As a reaction image or GIF: Find or screenshot someone (a person, animal, or character) giving a clear sideways glance. Post it in response to something suspicious, annoying, or unbelievable. Side Eyeing Chloe, SpongeBob characters, and Mr. Fresh are popular go-to options.

As a verbal meme: Simply write or say "side eye" in response to a questionable statement. On TikTok, creators often use the "bombastic side eye" audio over clips of awkward or judgmental situations.

As a photoshop template: Take the side eye face (usually Chloe's) and paste it into a different scene or onto another person's body for comedic effect.

The key is context: side eye works best when the thing being judged is obvious to the audience but goes unspoken. The sideways glance does the talking.

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

Side eye crossed from meme to mainstream vocabulary when Merriam-Webster added the term to its dictionary in February 2017. The dictionary specifically noted that the word covers "scorn, suspicion, disapproval, or veiled curiosity". While the gesture has existed for centuries in literature and real life, its formalization as a dictionary entry was directly tied to its viral spread online.

Side Eyeing Chloe became one of the earliest meme-to-NFT success stories. In 2021, the family sold the original Chloe photo as a non-fungible token for 25 Ethereum, worth approximately $74,000 at the time. Katie Clem said the money from Chloe's meme fame "literally helped us survive for a decade," covering rent, bills, and food.

The meme's impact on the Clem family also raised questions about children's privacy online. Katie Clem expressed guilt in a later interview, saying "I didn't fully understand how big it would get" and noting that "the internet is forever". The family eventually stepped back from social media, with Katie explaining she stopped pushing her daughters to create content once she could tell "they were bored" and "they were tired".

SpongeBob SquarePants characters became a reliable stable of side eye reaction images, with Mr. Krabs, Squidward, Mrs. Puff, and SpongeBob himself each offering distinct flavors of sideways judgment.

Fun Facts

The earliest known print use of "side eye" predates the United States Constitution's ratification, appearing in a 1797 religious periodical.

Chloe Clem was only two years old when her side eye went viral. By age 14, her features had changed enough that people rarely recognize her in public.

Disney approached Lily Clem (Chloe's sister) for a potential TV show when she was about 7, but their mother turned it down to protect the children's wellbeing.

Merriam-Webster acknowledged that the debate over whether you can turn your head during a side eye (or must keep it straight) is unresolved, saying "the jury is very much still out".

The "bombastic side eye" TikTok audio accumulated over 205,000 video uses in less than two months.

Derivatives & Variations

Side Eyeing Chloe

— The 2013 Disneyland reaction screenshot became one of the internet's most-used reaction images, spawning Tumblr photoshop edits and a dedicated fan blog[5].

Bombastic Side Eye

— TikToker Malaika Norman's January 2023 phrase "bombastic side eye, criminal offensive side eye" created a subgenre of translation videos where users say the phrase in different languages[2].

"Side Eyes, Side Eyes" Audio

— TikToker @cynthiammasi's casual storytelling clip became a viral sound used in over 205,000 videos, typically paired with awkward or judgmental scenarios[4].

Mr. Fresh the Cat

— A stray cat from China's Hello Street Cat app who went viral in October 2023 for his suspicious sideways glances at food and cameras[2].

Assembled Incorrectly Horse

— A wide-angle horse photo from a Facebook group that became a Tumblr art meme in 2024, with users drawing absurd bodies beneath the oversized head[2].

SpongeBob Side Eye Collection

— Multiple SpongeBob SquarePants characters, including Squidward, Mr. Krabs, and Mrs. Puff, provide a rotating cast of side eye reaction images[2].

Michelle Obama Side Eye

— The former First Lady's various public side eye moments, especially at the 2017 inauguration, became their own meme subcategory[4].

Frequently Asked Questions

Side Eye

2013Reaction image / catchphrase / video memeactive

Also known as: Side-Eye · Sidelong Glance · Bombastic Side Eye

Side Eye is a 2013 reaction-image meme popularized by Chloe Moretz's skeptical sideways glance, expressing suspicion and disapproval through a single, instantly recognizable facial expression.

Side eye is a universal facial expression turned internet staple, describing the act of looking sideways at someone without turning your head to convey suspicion, disapproval, or judgment. The term dates back to at least 1797 in print, but exploded as a meme format in the 2010s through viral moments like Side Eyeing Chloe (2013), Michelle Obama's inauguration glance (2017), and the "bombastic side eye" TikTok audio trend of 2023. As both a reaction image category and a verbal catchphrase, side eye is one of the most versatile and enduring meme genres online.

facial expression memes reaction memes child virality memes tiktok sound trends sarcasm memes

Overview

Side eye refers to a sideways glance made without turning your head, usually aimed at expressing doubt, scorn, annoyance, or silent judgment. It's a look everyone recognizes and most people have given at least once. Online, the expression has taken countless forms: still images of toddlers, celebrities, cartoon characters, and cats all frozen mid-glance. The meme works because it needs zero words to land. A single screenshot of someone looking sideways says "I can't believe what I'm seeing" louder than any caption could.

The meme exists as both a visual format (reaction images and GIFs) and a verbal one, with phrases like "side eye" and "bombastic side eye" used as standalone commentary on TikTok and Twitter. Merriam-Webster defines it as "a sidelong glance or gaze especially when expressing scorn, suspicion, disapproval, or veiled curiosity".

The phrase "side eye" is far older than the internet. The earliest known written use appeared on March 19, 1797, in the periodical *Remembrancer for Lord's Day Evenings*, which read: "Our being in Adam has been looked on with a side eye". James Joyce used the term in *Ulysses* in 1922, writing "A side eye at my Hamlet hat".

As a verb, the earliest documented usage dates to 1916 in *The Arizona Republican*: "In his mind's-eye he saw himself associating with actor-folk, who invariably side-eye him". But the term stayed relatively obscure until the late 2000s, when it began appearing in major publications with increasing frequency.

The meme's defining moment came on September 12, 2013, when YouTuber KAftC (Katie Clem) uploaded a video titled "Lily's Disneyland Surprise… AGAIN!" showing her two daughters reacting to a surprise Disneyland trip. While older sister Lily burst into tears of joy, two-year-old Chloe gave the camera a bewildered sideways glance that perfectly captured the side eye expression. Screenshots and GIFs of Chloe's face spread across Tumblr and Reddit almost immediately, earning her the nickname "Side Eyeing Chloe".

Origin & Background

Platform
YouTube (Side Eyeing Chloe video), Twitter / Tumblr (viral spread)
Key People
Katie Clem, Chloe Clem, Malaika Norman, @cynthiammasi
Date
2013 (viral meme breakout)

The phrase "side eye" is far older than the internet. The earliest known written use appeared on March 19, 1797, in the periodical *Remembrancer for Lord's Day Evenings*, which read: "Our being in Adam has been looked on with a side eye". James Joyce used the term in *Ulysses* in 1922, writing "A side eye at my Hamlet hat".

As a verb, the earliest documented usage dates to 1916 in *The Arizona Republican*: "In his mind's-eye he saw himself associating with actor-folk, who invariably side-eye him". But the term stayed relatively obscure until the late 2000s, when it began appearing in major publications with increasing frequency.

The meme's defining moment came on September 12, 2013, when YouTuber KAftC (Katie Clem) uploaded a video titled "Lily's Disneyland Surprise… AGAIN!" showing her two daughters reacting to a surprise Disneyland trip. While older sister Lily burst into tears of joy, two-year-old Chloe gave the camera a bewildered sideways glance that perfectly captured the side eye expression. Screenshots and GIFs of Chloe's face spread across Tumblr and Reddit almost immediately, earning her the nickname "Side Eyeing Chloe".

How It Spread

Chloe's side eye became one of the fastest-spreading reaction images of 2013. On Tumblr, GIFs contrasting the two sisters' reactions picked up 895,700 notes in less than a month. BuzzFeed ran an article in November 2013 calling Chloe "the patron saint of Tumblr" and "the queen and goddess of the internet". Photoshopped versions placing Chloe's face onto celebrities were collected on a dedicated Tumblr blog called "Chloe Queen of Everything".

The meme brought unexpected fame and financial relief to the Clem family, who were struggling at the time. "10 years ago, we were so poor," Katie Clem later told People Magazine. "This happened to us, and we're like, 'What? We can pay bills'". By May 2017, Chloe's Instagram posted an image used in an advertisement for Google, which pulled over 333,000 likes in under a year. The family also traveled to Brazil in 2017, where Chloe's face appeared on billboards across São Paulo, and they were "swarmed" by hundreds of fans.

On January 20, 2017, a different side eye moment went viral when Michelle Obama received a Tiffany's box from Melania Trump at Donald Trump's inauguration. Obama's brief, uncertain glance at a nearby camera was widely interpreted as a side eye, sparking a wave of jokes on Twitter. Shortly after, in February 2017, Merriam-Webster officially added "side-eye" to its dictionary, tweeting that the earliest written example dated to 1797.

During the 2018 Winter Olympics, another side eye moment caught fire when Twitter user @flyosity shared a clip of Kim Yo Jong standing behind Mike Pence, and Business Insider described the look as a "side-eye," with the article receiving over 280,000 shares in three days.

The format experienced a major revival in January 2023 when TikToker @cynthiammasi's audio clip saying "side eyes, side eyes" while telling a story became a viral sound. Within two months, the audio appeared in over 205,000 TikTok videos. Then TikToker Malaika Norman escalated things with her now-iconic phrase "bombastic side eye, criminal offensive side eye". The phrase hit Urban Dictionary shortly after, and a wave of videos translating it into other languages spawned their own viral followings. One TikTok by @itsmacy.nichole using the audio hit 18.9 million plays and 4.3 million likes in a single month.

Also in late 2023, a cat named Mr. Fresh went viral on TikTok via the Hello Street Cat app, a Chinese platform that livestreams stray cat feeding stations. Mr. Fresh's suspicious sideways stares at his food and the camera made him an instant side eye icon. In early 2024, Chinese internet trolls threatened the cat, but he was safely caught and adopted by a family before anything happened.

Platforms

RedditTwitterTikTokInstagram

Timeline

2021

Side Eye first appears online

2021

Gains traction on social media

2022

Reaches peak popularity

2023-01-01

Side Eye reached mainstream popularity and media coverage

2024-01-01

Brands and companies started using Side Eye in marketing

2025-01-01

Side Eye is still actively used and shared across platforms

View on Google Trends

Media

How to Use This Meme

Side eye memes come in several forms:

As a reaction image or GIF: Find or screenshot someone (a person, animal, or character) giving a clear sideways glance. Post it in response to something suspicious, annoying, or unbelievable. Side Eyeing Chloe, SpongeBob characters, and Mr. Fresh are popular go-to options.

As a verbal meme: Simply write or say "side eye" in response to a questionable statement. On TikTok, creators often use the "bombastic side eye" audio over clips of awkward or judgmental situations.

As a photoshop template: Take the side eye face (usually Chloe's) and paste it into a different scene or onto another person's body for comedic effect.

The key is context: side eye works best when the thing being judged is obvious to the audience but goes unspoken. The sideways glance does the talking.

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

Side eye crossed from meme to mainstream vocabulary when Merriam-Webster added the term to its dictionary in February 2017. The dictionary specifically noted that the word covers "scorn, suspicion, disapproval, or veiled curiosity". While the gesture has existed for centuries in literature and real life, its formalization as a dictionary entry was directly tied to its viral spread online.

Side Eyeing Chloe became one of the earliest meme-to-NFT success stories. In 2021, the family sold the original Chloe photo as a non-fungible token for 25 Ethereum, worth approximately $74,000 at the time. Katie Clem said the money from Chloe's meme fame "literally helped us survive for a decade," covering rent, bills, and food.

The meme's impact on the Clem family also raised questions about children's privacy online. Katie Clem expressed guilt in a later interview, saying "I didn't fully understand how big it would get" and noting that "the internet is forever". The family eventually stepped back from social media, with Katie explaining she stopped pushing her daughters to create content once she could tell "they were bored" and "they were tired".

SpongeBob SquarePants characters became a reliable stable of side eye reaction images, with Mr. Krabs, Squidward, Mrs. Puff, and SpongeBob himself each offering distinct flavors of sideways judgment.

Fun Facts

The earliest known print use of "side eye" predates the United States Constitution's ratification, appearing in a 1797 religious periodical.

Chloe Clem was only two years old when her side eye went viral. By age 14, her features had changed enough that people rarely recognize her in public.

Disney approached Lily Clem (Chloe's sister) for a potential TV show when she was about 7, but their mother turned it down to protect the children's wellbeing.

Merriam-Webster acknowledged that the debate over whether you can turn your head during a side eye (or must keep it straight) is unresolved, saying "the jury is very much still out".

The "bombastic side eye" TikTok audio accumulated over 205,000 video uses in less than two months.

Derivatives & Variations

Side Eyeing Chloe

— The 2013 Disneyland reaction screenshot became one of the internet's most-used reaction images, spawning Tumblr photoshop edits and a dedicated fan blog[5].

Bombastic Side Eye

— TikToker Malaika Norman's January 2023 phrase "bombastic side eye, criminal offensive side eye" created a subgenre of translation videos where users say the phrase in different languages[2].

"Side Eyes, Side Eyes" Audio

— TikToker @cynthiammasi's casual storytelling clip became a viral sound used in over 205,000 videos, typically paired with awkward or judgmental scenarios[4].

Mr. Fresh the Cat

— A stray cat from China's Hello Street Cat app who went viral in October 2023 for his suspicious sideways glances at food and cameras[2].

Assembled Incorrectly Horse

— A wide-angle horse photo from a Facebook group that became a Tumblr art meme in 2024, with users drawing absurd bodies beneath the oversized head[2].

SpongeBob Side Eye Collection

— Multiple SpongeBob SquarePants characters, including Squidward, Mr. Krabs, and Mrs. Puff, provide a rotating cast of side eye reaction images[2].

Michelle Obama Side Eye

— The former First Lady's various public side eye moments, especially at the 2017 inauguration, became their own meme subcategory[4].

Frequently Asked Questions