AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The 'Phoebe Teaching Joey' meme features a scene from the television series Friends where Phoebe Buffay tries to teach Joey Tribbiani French. This educational attempt is humorously unsuccessful. In the meme, Phoebe is depicted trying to teach Joey different concepts or items. The format mirrors the setup where Phoebe explains and Joey incorrectly repeats, making it similar to the 'Patrick Star's Wallet' meme, where the humor is derived from the failure to understand basic explanations.

OriginWho did it first?

The meme originates from 'The One Where Joey Speaks French,' the 13th episode of Friends' tenth season, which first aired on February 19, 2004. In a memorable scene, Phoebe attempts to teach Joey how to speak French. Joey tries to repeat the phrases word by word but comically fails to pronounce them correctly when put together. This particular scene became the foundation for the meme. The earliest known meme adaptation came on December 5th, 2011, when an unregistered user posted an eight-panel meme on 9GAG, capturing this humorous exchange. The scene itself can be seen in fuller context in this YouTube video.^[1]

Origin: 2020