Jesse What Are You Talking About

2020Multi-panel image macrosemi-active

Also known as: Jesse What the Fuck Are You Talking About · Jesse WTF Are You Talking About

Jesse What Are You Talking About is a 2020 multi-panel image macro from El Camino featuring Breaking Bad's Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, where Jesse rattles off incomprehensible internet slang while Walter responds with confused frustration.

"Jesse What Are You Talking About" is a multi-panel image macro featuring Breaking Bad characters Walter White and Jesse Pinkman at a diner table. Jesse spouts incomprehensible internet slang while Walter reacts with confused frustration. The format debuted on iFunny in March 2020 using a scene from *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie* and spread rapidly across Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook the following month.

breaking bad memespandemic era memesconfusion memesmulti panel memes2020 memes

TL;DR

"Jesse What Are You Talking About" is a multi-panel image macro featuring Breaking Bad characters Walter White and Jesse Pinkman at a diner table.

Overview

The meme uses screenshots from Breaking Bad franchise dining scenes where Jesse Pinkman and Walter White sit across from each other at a restaurant. Jesse's dialogue gets replaced with dense internet slang, gen-z jargon, or absurdly online statements, while Walter responds with some variation of "Jesse, what the fuck are you talking about?"4

The comedy runs on the contrast between Jesse talking in fluent internet brain rot and Walter's total failure to parse any of it. Two specific dining scenes supply the source imagery: a Denny's sequence from the "Box Cutter" episode and a flashback restaurant moment from *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie*3.

Two scenes from the Breaking Bad universe provide the template's visual foundation. The first comes from "Box Cutter," the season four premiere written by series creator Vince Gilligan, which aired on AMC on July 17, 20111. Bryan Cranston's Walter White and Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman share a tense meal at Denny's while dealing with fallout from their drug operation.

The second scene is from *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie*, released on Netflix on October 11, 20192. In a flashback set during the show's timeline, Walter and Jesse eat breakfast after a multi-day meth cook. Walter reflects on how long he waited to accomplish something meaningful, telling Jesse he's fortunate to have started young.

The meme format appeared on March 13, 2020, when iFunny user CosmicRewind posted a multi-panel edit using the *El Camino* restaurant scene3. Jesse tried to explain the meaning of "based" to an increasingly bewildered Walter. The post played on the "Based on What?" format that was popular in online circles at the time.

Origin & Background

Platform
iFunny (first meme), Twitter (viral spread)
Key People
CosmicRewind
Date
2020
Year
2020

Two scenes from the Breaking Bad universe provide the template's visual foundation. The first comes from "Box Cutter," the season four premiere written by series creator Vince Gilligan, which aired on AMC on July 17, 2011. Bryan Cranston's Walter White and Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman share a tense meal at Denny's while dealing with fallout from their drug operation.

The second scene is from *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie*, released on Netflix on October 11, 2019. In a flashback set during the show's timeline, Walter and Jesse eat breakfast after a multi-day meth cook. Walter reflects on how long he waited to accomplish something meaningful, telling Jesse he's fortunate to have started young.

The meme format appeared on March 13, 2020, when iFunny user CosmicRewind posted a multi-panel edit using the *El Camino* restaurant scene. Jesse tried to explain the meaning of "based" to an increasingly bewildered Walter. The post played on the "Based on What?" format that was popular in online circles at the time.

How It Spread

The format sat dormant for several weeks before Twitter users picked it up in early April 2020. On April 6, @garfpoop posted a Mommy GF / Return to Tradition version that earned over 860 retweets and 5,400 likes within two months. Two days later, @ohip13 dropped a Joker/Doomer/Blackpill recaption pulling about 2,400 retweets and 15,100 likes. iFunny reposts by Penns and Gxbe on April 10 scored over 3,600 and 4,000 smiles, and an Instagram post by bearboob on April 13 hit more than 37,600 likes.

A platform split developed during this wave. Twitter users favored the *El Camino* clip, while iFunny, Facebook, and Instagram posts tended to use screenshots from the original Breaking Bad series. The template's flexibility drove its rapid adoption: any internet slang term, niche community reference, or terminally online concept could be dropped into Jesse's dialogue, making the format endlessly recyclable.

Platforms

RedditTwitterInstagramTikTok

Timeline

2020

Format gains popularity as Breaking Bad experiences renewed interest

2020-2021

Spreads across platforms as standard confusion reaction

2021-01-01

Jesse What Are You Talking About started spreading across social media platforms

2022-present

Is still going strong reaction for expressing confusion

2023-01-01

Brands and companies started using Jesse What Are You Talking About in marketing

2025-01-01

Jesse What Are You Talking About is still actively used and shared across platforms

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

Start with a screenshot of Jesse and Walter at a diner table, or use one of the commonly circulated panel sets. Jesse's text should contain internet slang, meme jargon, or any statement that reads as pure gibberish to someone not deeply plugged into online culture. Walter's reply expresses confusion or annoyance, typically some version of "Jesse, what the fuck are you talking about?"

Common approaches:

- Slang overload: Jesse strings together terms like "no cap," "ratio," "bussy," "fr fr on god" while Walter demands he speak normally - Niche jargon: Jesse describes a hyper-specific fandom, online subculture, or gaming meta that registers as incomprehensible to outsiders - Time mismatch: Jesse references apps, memes, or cultural moments that didn't exist during Breaking Bad's 2008-2013 timeline, creating comedic anachronism

The format lands hardest when Jesse's dialogue is dense enough to confuse even people who spend significant time online.

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

The meme arrived during the early weeks of COVID-19 lockdowns in spring 2020, when extra screen time accelerated meme production across platforms. The format gave people a framework to joke about how impenetrable internet language had gotten, casting Walter White as the stand-in for anyone struggling to keep pace with evolving online slang.

Breaking Bad's large existing fanbase provided a built-in audience, and the template's open-ended structure meant any new slang trend or viral moment could refresh the format. Beyond static image macros, the meme also spawned voice-edited versions where creators dub manipulated or AI-generated audio over the original diner scenes, making Jesse and Walter "say" the dialogue out loud.

Fun Facts

The first "Jesse What Are You Talking About" meme was itself a crossover with another format: CosmicRewind's March 2020 iFunny post used the "Based on What?" template, piggybacking on a meme about people misunderstanding the slang term "based."

Urban Dictionary's definition specifically cites voice edits as part of the meme's origin, showing how quickly the format branched beyond static images.

The two source scenes were produced eight years apart, with "Box Cutter" airing in 2011 and *El Camino* premiering in 2019, yet both feature the same core setup: Walter and Jesse sitting across from each other at a restaurant, talking past one another.

Derivatives & Variations

Variations with different Jesse facial expressions

A variation of Jesse What Are You Talking About

(2020)

Extended sequences showing escalating confusion

A variation of Jesse What Are You Talking About

(2020)

Paired reactions with different characters

A variation of Jesse What Are You Talking About

(2020)

Video versions showing animated confusion reactions

A variation of Jesse What Are You Talking About

(2020)

Frequently Asked Questions

Jesse What Are You Talking About

2020Multi-panel image macrosemi-active

Also known as: Jesse What the Fuck Are You Talking About · Jesse WTF Are You Talking About

Jesse What Are You Talking About is a 2020 multi-panel image macro from El Camino featuring Breaking Bad's Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, where Jesse rattles off incomprehensible internet slang while Walter responds with confused frustration.

"Jesse What Are You Talking About" is a multi-panel image macro featuring Breaking Bad characters Walter White and Jesse Pinkman at a diner table. Jesse spouts incomprehensible internet slang while Walter reacts with confused frustration. The format debuted on iFunny in March 2020 using a scene from *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie* and spread rapidly across Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook the following month.

breaking bad memes pandemic era memes confusion memes multi panel memes 2020 memes

TL;DR

"Jesse What Are You Talking About" is a multi-panel image macro featuring Breaking Bad characters Walter White and Jesse Pinkman at a diner table.

Overview

The meme uses screenshots from Breaking Bad franchise dining scenes where Jesse Pinkman and Walter White sit across from each other at a restaurant. Jesse's dialogue gets replaced with dense internet slang, gen-z jargon, or absurdly online statements, while Walter responds with some variation of "Jesse, what the fuck are you talking about?"

The comedy runs on the contrast between Jesse talking in fluent internet brain rot and Walter's total failure to parse any of it. Two specific dining scenes supply the source imagery: a Denny's sequence from the "Box Cutter" episode and a flashback restaurant moment from *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie*.

Two scenes from the Breaking Bad universe provide the template's visual foundation. The first comes from "Box Cutter," the season four premiere written by series creator Vince Gilligan, which aired on AMC on July 17, 2011. Bryan Cranston's Walter White and Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman share a tense meal at Denny's while dealing with fallout from their drug operation.

The second scene is from *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie*, released on Netflix on October 11, 2019. In a flashback set during the show's timeline, Walter and Jesse eat breakfast after a multi-day meth cook. Walter reflects on how long he waited to accomplish something meaningful, telling Jesse he's fortunate to have started young.

The meme format appeared on March 13, 2020, when iFunny user CosmicRewind posted a multi-panel edit using the *El Camino* restaurant scene. Jesse tried to explain the meaning of "based" to an increasingly bewildered Walter. The post played on the "Based on What?" format that was popular in online circles at the time.

Origin & Background

Platform
iFunny (first meme), Twitter (viral spread)
Key People
CosmicRewind
Date
2020
Year
2020

Two scenes from the Breaking Bad universe provide the template's visual foundation. The first comes from "Box Cutter," the season four premiere written by series creator Vince Gilligan, which aired on AMC on July 17, 2011. Bryan Cranston's Walter White and Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman share a tense meal at Denny's while dealing with fallout from their drug operation.

The second scene is from *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie*, released on Netflix on October 11, 2019. In a flashback set during the show's timeline, Walter and Jesse eat breakfast after a multi-day meth cook. Walter reflects on how long he waited to accomplish something meaningful, telling Jesse he's fortunate to have started young.

The meme format appeared on March 13, 2020, when iFunny user CosmicRewind posted a multi-panel edit using the *El Camino* restaurant scene. Jesse tried to explain the meaning of "based" to an increasingly bewildered Walter. The post played on the "Based on What?" format that was popular in online circles at the time.

How It Spread

The format sat dormant for several weeks before Twitter users picked it up in early April 2020. On April 6, @garfpoop posted a Mommy GF / Return to Tradition version that earned over 860 retweets and 5,400 likes within two months. Two days later, @ohip13 dropped a Joker/Doomer/Blackpill recaption pulling about 2,400 retweets and 15,100 likes. iFunny reposts by Penns and Gxbe on April 10 scored over 3,600 and 4,000 smiles, and an Instagram post by bearboob on April 13 hit more than 37,600 likes.

A platform split developed during this wave. Twitter users favored the *El Camino* clip, while iFunny, Facebook, and Instagram posts tended to use screenshots from the original Breaking Bad series. The template's flexibility drove its rapid adoption: any internet slang term, niche community reference, or terminally online concept could be dropped into Jesse's dialogue, making the format endlessly recyclable.

Platforms

RedditTwitterInstagramTikTok

Timeline

2020

Format gains popularity as Breaking Bad experiences renewed interest

2020-2021

Spreads across platforms as standard confusion reaction

2021-01-01

Jesse What Are You Talking About started spreading across social media platforms

2022-present

Is still going strong reaction for expressing confusion

2023-01-01

Brands and companies started using Jesse What Are You Talking About in marketing

2025-01-01

Jesse What Are You Talking About is still actively used and shared across platforms

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

Start with a screenshot of Jesse and Walter at a diner table, or use one of the commonly circulated panel sets. Jesse's text should contain internet slang, meme jargon, or any statement that reads as pure gibberish to someone not deeply plugged into online culture. Walter's reply expresses confusion or annoyance, typically some version of "Jesse, what the fuck are you talking about?"

Common approaches:

- Slang overload: Jesse strings together terms like "no cap," "ratio," "bussy," "fr fr on god" while Walter demands he speak normally - Niche jargon: Jesse describes a hyper-specific fandom, online subculture, or gaming meta that registers as incomprehensible to outsiders - Time mismatch: Jesse references apps, memes, or cultural moments that didn't exist during Breaking Bad's 2008-2013 timeline, creating comedic anachronism

The format lands hardest when Jesse's dialogue is dense enough to confuse even people who spend significant time online.

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

The meme arrived during the early weeks of COVID-19 lockdowns in spring 2020, when extra screen time accelerated meme production across platforms. The format gave people a framework to joke about how impenetrable internet language had gotten, casting Walter White as the stand-in for anyone struggling to keep pace with evolving online slang.

Breaking Bad's large existing fanbase provided a built-in audience, and the template's open-ended structure meant any new slang trend or viral moment could refresh the format. Beyond static image macros, the meme also spawned voice-edited versions where creators dub manipulated or AI-generated audio over the original diner scenes, making Jesse and Walter "say" the dialogue out loud.

Fun Facts

The first "Jesse What Are You Talking About" meme was itself a crossover with another format: CosmicRewind's March 2020 iFunny post used the "Based on What?" template, piggybacking on a meme about people misunderstanding the slang term "based."

Urban Dictionary's definition specifically cites voice edits as part of the meme's origin, showing how quickly the format branched beyond static images.

The two source scenes were produced eight years apart, with "Box Cutter" airing in 2011 and *El Camino* premiering in 2019, yet both feature the same core setup: Walter and Jesse sitting across from each other at a restaurant, talking past one another.

Derivatives & Variations

Variations with different Jesse facial expressions

A variation of Jesse What Are You Talking About

(2020)

Extended sequences showing escalating confusion

A variation of Jesse What Are You Talking About

(2020)

Paired reactions with different characters

A variation of Jesse What Are You Talking About

(2020)

Video versions showing animated confusion reactions

A variation of Jesse What Are You Talking About

(2020)

Frequently Asked Questions