AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The Neil deGrasse Tyson Reaction meme features an image of the famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson making a defensive gesture with his hand extended outward and a look of exaggerated confoundment on his face. This meme is commonly associated with the catchphrase "Watch out guys, we're dealing with a badass over here," used sarcastically to mock pretentious or overconfident remarks.

OriginWho did it first?

The meme originated from a still image captured during an interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson by Big Think on the topic of living and longevity, which was published on YouTube on June 3rd, 2011. The moment depicted Tyson describing how Sir Isaac Newton invented calculus before his 26th birthday with a nonplussed reaction. Shortly after, an animated GIF capturing this reaction was shared on the 'r/trees' subreddit in a post titled "when asked if I smoke weed often" by a user, with another user, Hippopoptimus_Prime, creating a rage comic version of the reaction face.^[1]

Origin: 2011