AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The 'Joey's Delayed Reaction' meme features a notable scene from the television series Friends, specifically portraying the character Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt LeBlanc. In this meme template, Joey exhibits a sudden realization with his eyes dramatically widening. This reaction occurs as he connects a significant plot point about his friends Ross Geller and Rachel Green. The image typically captures Joey with a startled or surprised expression, often used in a four-panel format to depict a slow build-up to a comedic or shocking revelation.

OriginWho did it first?

The meme originates from an episode of Friends titled 'The One With the Red Sweater,' which aired on October 4th, 2001. In this episode, Joey, alongside Monica Geller and Phoebe Buffay, uncovers a pivotal plot twist involving their friends. Joey's reaction, where he widens his eyes in astonishment, became iconic. The specific scene gained wider attention when a YouTube user named Christiano Ronaltno uploaded it on November 27th, 2007. Subsequently, still images of this scene appeared on fan websites like Friendsgeneration and Skyrock. The first known reaction GIF from this scene emerged online on May 15th, 2011, hosted by Reaction GIFs.^[1]

Origin: 2001