Home > Life > Digital Culture

'Me explaining to my mom' memes are the perfect reaction to all our obsessions

Yeah, she's not understanding a thing you're saying.

Sage Anderson

on May 31, 2019

Sometimes being a parent is just perfecting the art of smiling and nodding supportively while your kid goes off about the latest beautube drama or who's the best healer in Overwatch.

Parents put up with a lot, but, honestly, so do kids. You're standing there, having a meltdown over fictional characters or trying to explain some complex comic book lore, and you can see it in your parent's eyes — it's just completely going over their heads.

That's why the 'me explaining to my mom' memes serve a dual purpose: It's both a relatable parenting mood and a reflection of our need to have our niche interests feel seen.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The meme is actually a mashup of two previous memes. In March of 2018, Twitter user and former Vine star @quenblackwell tweeted a video of herself screaming with the caption "sometimes you just have to let it out..scream if you have to." This is where the exasperated child half of the meme originates. The "mom" half is an Instagram post of Ms. Juicy from Little Women: Atlanta watching a Cowboys game.

Mashable Trend Report

Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means.

By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Thanks for signing up!

The first official version of the mother and child format came from Twitter user @sxturnsailor, which translates to "me explaining to my mom why it's necessary I go out and party." But the meme really gained traction with this tweet from @stfutony.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Here are some other times Twitter has desperately explained something their parents, who were just not getting.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Sometimes, you'll find yourself thrusting your opinions upon unwitting audiences other than your parents, be it your loving and patient friends or even your Twitter followers.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Even if you can't see eye to eye all the time, we hope you at least pay it forward and nod silently when your mom starts going off about Maroon 5 or the latest Kohl's sale on white jeans.

Topics X/Twitter Memes

Sage Anderson

Sage is the newest Culture writer on the block at Mashable NYC. They recently graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, and have previously worked for The Dr. Oz Show, NorthSouth Productions, and on Netflix's 'The OA Part II'. Off the clock, they can be found testing out cupcake recipes, collecting dolls, and watching Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure for the millionth time.