AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The meme "Bill Nye Died in a Balloon Accident" centers on fictitious claims that Bill Nye, the renowned American television presenter and science educator, met his demise in a hot air balloon accident. This narrative originated from a specific 2024 episode of the TV series Smiling Friends, where a version of Bill Nye is depicted tragically dying in this unusual manner during the storyline. The meme typically highlights the absurdity of the scenario in various humorous social media posts.

OriginWho did it first?

The source of this meme is tied to an episode titled "Pim Finally Turns Green," which is the eighth episode of the second season of the animated comedy Smiling Friends. This episode aired on June 23, 2024, on Adult Swim. It features a plot where the characters Pim and Charlie invite Bill Nye to help explain the concept of death to Rotten, a snowman afraid of dying. During the episode, Bill Nye tragically crashes his hot air balloon into power lines while singing about the naturalness of death. The episode can be further explored in detail on the Smiling Friends Fan Wiki here, and a clip from the episode can be watched on YouTube.^[1]

Origin: 2024