# What Are Those > What Are Those? is a 2015 viral video meme where content creator Brandon Moore filmed himself loudly questioning a police officer's work boots, spawning countless parodies and pranks across Vine and Instagram. "What Are Those?" is a viral video meme that originated on Instagram in June 2015 when Berkeley, California content creator Brandon Moore (known as Young Busco) filmed himself loudly questioning a police officer's work boots. The clip spread rapidly across Vine and Instagram, spawning countless parody videos, remixes, and real-life pranks where people would call out someone's questionable footwear by shouting the phrase with exaggerated emphasis. The meme became one of the defining moments of Vine-era internet culture and sneaker community humor. ## Origin The concept predates the viral video. On October 2, 2011, Urban Dictionary user JOHNxRYAN95 created an entry defining "What Are Those?" as a question yelled at someone wearing unkempt or off-brand footwear[4]. But the meme as the internet knows it started on June 14, 2015, when Instagram user Brandon Moore, who went by the handle @youngbusco, uploaded a video shot at the Berkeley flea market in California[7]. In the clip, a woman named Myesha was being arrested for drinking in public. Moore, who said he always had his camera out to document his daily life on Snapchat, turned the lens toward the arresting officer's clunky black work boots and shouted "What are those?!" The officer looked at him, seemingly unimpressed, and walked off[12]. Within three weeks, the video picked up over 2,300 likes and 1,200 comments on Instagram[4]. Moore told Complex in an interview that calling out bad shoes was something he'd been doing since childhood. "I've been doing 'what are those?' forever. It's something I did as a kid to talk about my friend's shoes," he explained. "It was a spur of the moment type of thing with that cop, and, to be honest, I thought he was going to slap me with his night stick"[7]. - **Platform:** Instagram (original video), Vine (viral spread) - **Creator:** Brandon Moore / Young Busco (original video creator) - **Date:** 2015 ## Overview The meme centers on a simple but devastating social interaction: someone spots another person wearing ugly, off-brand, or worn-out shoes, points a camera at the footwear, and shouts "What are THOSE?!" with heavy emphasis on the last word. The humor comes from the theatrical delivery, the public shaming element, and the target's confused or embarrassed reaction. While initially focused on footwear, the format expanded to mock any questionable fashion choice or odd-looking object[5]. The phrase functions as both a genuine insult and a playful roast. As Urban Dictionary defined it, it's "a rhetorical question used on someone with ugly or old shoes"[6]. The key is the voice: drawn-out, dramatic, and pointed directly at the offending item. ## How It Spread The meme jumped from Instagram to Vine on June 18, 2015, when Viner A-RODney King reuploaded the clip, where it picked up over 20 million loops, 271,000 likes, and 136,000 revines within two weeks[4]. Two days later, YouTuber Crey Crey posted a looped version that pulled in over 210,000 views[4]. By late June, the format was everywhere. On June 27, the DeboraGrano Vines YouTube channel uploaded a compilation of notable remixes and parodies[4]. The next day, Viner Samuel Grubbs posted footage of a man jumping down from a church pulpit to ask a seated church-goer the question[4]. Complex published its first article about the trend on June 29, followed by a full interview with Moore the same day[8]. The autotuned remix era kicked off on July 1, when Viner Danny Gonzalez layered the audio over a scene from Jurassic Park. That video hit 8.9 million loops, 205,000 likes, and 110,000 revines in its first 24 hours[4]. On July 21, Viner Joey Gatto pulled the prank on his grandmother, who calmly responded "they are my Crocs," earning over 33.7 million views[4]. The meme's peak celebrity moment came on August 4, 2015, when a camper at Michael Jordan's basketball camp stood up during a Q&A session and asked the basketball legend, "What are those?" The crowd erupted, but Jordan looked confused and needed the meme explained to him[1]. After admitting he was "lost on that Vine tip," Jordan fired back: "What are those? These are XX9 Lows," referring to unreleased Air Jordans on his feet[13]. TIME covered the exchange, noting that the meme was "an increasingly popular trend" for publicly shaming people with lame footwear[13]. ## How to Use The classic "What Are Those?" format follows a simple pattern: 1. Spot someone wearing ugly, worn-out, off-brand, or otherwise questionable shoes (or any unfashionable item). 2. Point your camera or finger at the offending item. 3. Ask in a dramatic, drawn-out voice: "What are THOSE?!" 4. The humor works best when the target is caught off-guard. ## Cultural Impact "What Are Those?" became a defining meme of mid-2015 Vine culture and put sneaker shaming into the mainstream internet vocabulary. The phrase landed its own Urban Dictionary entry and became a real-life social interaction that teenagers and young adults used in schools, malls, and public spaces across the U.S. and Canada[6]. The meme's reach into professional sports through the Michael Jordan camp incident brought coverage from TIME, ABC7, and other major outlets, marking one of the first times a Vine meme directly confronted a global sports icon in person[13]. Complex identified the trend as central to sneakerhead culture, noting that "there are few larger signs of disrespect than to question a man for what he's wearing"[11]. Moore's death in November 2018 prompted a wave of tributes across social media, with users sharing the original video and remembering him as someone who "changed the world with laughter"[4]. ## Fun Facts - Moore said he wasn't even planning to post the original video to Instagram but saved it on impulse and uploaded it alongside three other clips from that day[7]. - The phrase existed as playground slang before the viral video. Moore said he'd been using it since childhood to roast friends' shoes[12]. - Fetty Wap's music was remixed to incorporate the "What Are Those?" punchline during the meme's peak[11]. - An actual "What Are Those?" button was sold on Amazon that played the audio clip when pressed[6]. - Moore's one piece of advice about the meme format: don't try it on strangers who might fight back, as he learned the hard way[7]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Where did "What Are Those?" come from? The video was filmed at the Berkeley flea market in California on June 14, 2015, and posted to Instagram by user @youngbusco. It went viral after being reuploaded to Vine on June 18[4]. ### What does "What Are Those?" mean? It's a way to publicly roast someone for wearing ugly, off-brand, or worn-out shoes. The phrase has expanded to mock any questionable fashion choice or odd-looking item[5]. **How do you use "What Are Those?"** Point at someone's shoes (or any unfashionable item) and shout "What are THOSE?!" in an exaggerated, dramatic voice with heavy emphasis on the last word[6]. ### Is "What Are Those?" still popular? The meme peaked in the summer of 2015 during Vine's heyday. While the phrase is still widely recognized and occasionally used, it's no longer a dominant trend[8]. **Who created "What Are Those?"** Brandon Moore, a Berkeley, California content creator who went by Young Busco on Instagram. He said he'd been using the phrase since childhood to joke about friends' shoes[12]. **What happened to the creator of "What Are Those?"** Brandon Moore passed away on November 25, 2018, at age 31. The Heat Magazine reported that his cause of death was an accidental overdose[3]. ### What happened when someone tried "What Are Those?" on Michael Jordan? At the Michael Jordan Flight School summer camp in August 2015, 17-year-old Bryce Lyle asked Jordan the question during a Q&A. Jordan, confused at first, responded by pointing out his unreleased Air Jordan XX9 Lows[13]. ### Did "What Are Those?" start on Vine? The original video was posted to Instagram, but the meme went viral after being reuploaded to Vine on June 18, 2015, where it hit over 20 million loops[4]. ### Has anyone ever been hurt doing the "What Are Those?" prank? Yes. Moore himself was kicked in the ribs by a homeless man after trying the prank on him. The man also took Moore's money from his pocket[7]. ## References 1. [Michael Jordan victim of teen's 'What Are Those' meme slam - ABC7 Chicago]() 2. [Meme Documentation — Explained: what are THOSE? meme]() 3. [“What Are Those?” Meme Creator Died From Accidental Overdose | The Heat Magazine]() 4. [What Are Those? - Know Your Meme]() 5. [What Do You Meme?]() 6. [What Are Those? - Urban Dictionary]() 7. [Urban Dictionary: What Are Those?]() 8. [Meet the Originator of the "What Are Those?" Video]() 9. [The 15 Funniest "What Are Thooooose?!" Memes to Hit the Internet]() 10. [A Guy Made Fun Of A Police Officer's Shoes And Now It's A Huge Meme]() 11. [Michael Jordan victim of teen's 'What Are Those' meme slam - ABC7 Chicago]() 12. [Sneakerheads Are Trolling Everyone By Asking: "What Are Thooooose?"]() 13. [Meet the Originator of the "What Are Those?" Video]() 14. [A Teen Tried the 'What Are Those?' Shoes Meme On Michael Jordan | TIME]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/what-are-those Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library