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The 'Major Hellstrom Sees Three Fingers' meme, also known as 'Guy Holding Up Three Fingers', is based on an image of the character Major Hellstrom from the movie 'Inglourious Basterds'. In the image, Hellstrom, portrayed by actor August Diehl, is depicted with an intense and suspicious expression as he observes a hand showing a three-finger gesture. This still is used to highlight moments when someone pretending to be someone else inadvertently reveals their true identity or makes a critical mistake.
The meme originates from a scene in the 2009 film 'Inglourious Basterds', directed by Quentin Tarantino, which can be explored further on IMDb. In this scene, British officer Archie Hicox accidentally reveals his identity to Nazi officer Major Hellstrom by using a British gesture to indicate the number three, instead of the German method. This error results in Major Hellstrom becoming suspicious, leading to a tense and dramatic shootout, which can be seen in this YouTube clip. The meme gained popularity after a post on X (now X) by @vanillatary, where Hellstrom's scrutinizing look is humorously used to comment on Millennials trying to pass as Gen Z by using outdated slang.
Origin: 2024
Also known as: unorthodox-three-finger-gesture-inglorious-bastards, unorthodox-three-finger-imposture-gesture-inglorious-bastards, three-finger-gesture-reveals-imposture-inglorious-bastards, three-finger-gesture-reveals-imposter-inglorious-bastards
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