The “Pattinson Meme” has been making waves on TikTok ever since it first appeared, and it’s quickly become one of the platform’s most popular themes. The meme is named after actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who has a very distinctive, almost exaggerated version of the “O.J. Simpson” pose that has become so popular on TikTok.
If you’ve seen one Ben Hatke meme, you’ve seen them all. The Australian artist has created a series of hilarious “Pattinson Memes” poking fun at Cumberbatch’s sometimes serious, sometimes goofy nature. The videos have become so popular that Hatke even started a Twitter account solely for the purpose of sharing his memes. Unfortunately, as with most viral trends, there’s also been a surge of fake “Pattinson Memes” appearing on TikTok. It’s difficult to know what’s real and what’s not when it comes to these kinds of things, so it’s best to just ignore all of the hoaxes and enjoy the real gems.
Where Do The Memes Come From?
The “Pattinson Meme” began trending on TikTok on June 19, 2019, when Hatke uploaded a video titled “Benedict Cumberbatch Can’t Pull Off This Grocery Store Heismany.” In the clip, the actor is seen wandering through a grocery store, trying on various items of clothing and asking for help when he can’t find something. In the process, he cracks funny one-liners and shares memorable quotes from pop culture.
The meme gained even more traction when it was revealed that Cumberbatch’s character, Sherlock Holmes, would be making an appearance in the upcoming animated series Sherlock Gnomes. The show is set to air on Disney XD in early 2021, and it will feature Cumberbatch voicing the titular character. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cumberbatch said:
“Sherlock Gnomes is a series I’m really proud of and excited about … We went out and did lots of research — read books, look at blogs, watched YouTube videos, listened to podcasts, followed accounts on Twitter. There were so many different strands to pull on for this character — a bit of an everyman, a bit of a loner, a bit of a genius, a bit of a dandy, and then we blended all of those attributes together into one funny little gnome!”
The success of the “Pattinson Meme” on TikTok has led to it being featured on other platforms as well. On July 17, 2019, Bitchute, a free video platform that was originally designed for women, premiered a comedy special starring the British actor and comedian. In the one-hour special, Cumberbatch revisits many of the funny one-liners and anecdotes from his YouTube career, as well as including some brand-new material.
Should You Try To Out-Cumberbatch Your Favorite Celebrities?
This is a question that gets asked of any successful person on social media, but especially of those who have achieved a considerable amount of fame on TikTok. The platform encourages users to constantly be updating their content — a characteristic that has made it extremely successful — and there’s a good chance that you’ll out-Cumberbatch someone in your social media feed. This is especially true if you watch a lot of YouTube or TikTok comedy specials — where the “best” is always meant to be compared to the original celebrity being parodied — and if you like a lot of the same jokes.
The temptation to out-Cumberbatch a celebrity is great, and it’s one that most people feel drawn to. But it can also bring with it the risk of falling into parody — something that Hatke, the creator of the “Pattinson Meme,” warns against.
“You’ve got to be really careful about imitating or spoofing someone,” Hatke told The Verge. “You don’t want to make a spoof that’s so obvious that it’s insulting. For example, we did a really cute little one where [Liam] Hemsworth is trying on different outfits and says a lot of weird [Aussie] slang… But in the same way that The Simpsons did a great job of spoofing American culture, we wanted to do our own take on British culture, and using American accents in Australia just wouldn’t feel right. ‘Hey, mate, where’d you get that top? It’s very Che Guevara.’ That would just be rude.”
How To Tell If A Pattinson Meme Is Real Or Fake
The easiest way to figure out if a Pattinson Meme is real or fake is to view the creator’s profile. You can usually tell by looking at their handle whether or not the video is an original — if it’s done in a professional manner, there’s a good chance it’s real. You can also tell by the number of views the video has. Professional videos with thousands of views probably come from somewhere closer to home, while amateur videos with a couple hundred views probably came from overseas.
When it comes to memes, the best tool is your common sense. Take a look at the video’s description to see if it makes any sense — is there a theme to it? Is there any real world connection? Does it make you laugh? These are all important questions to ask yourself before you decide to hit “play” on a potential meme. If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then it’s most likely a real deal.
Where Can I Find More About The “Pattinson Meme”?
If you’re interested in finding out more about the “Pattinson Meme” or any other trending topic, there are a few places you can go to catch up. First, you can examine the video itself, or any of the other videos in the meme’s channel — though this can be a time-consuming process. The Verge’s own Emily VanDerWerff did this for a month straight, examining every video in Hatke’s channel and writing about her findings. You can also consult the video’s Twitter account and see if there are any clues as to whether or not it’s been photoshopped.
If you want to get a sense of what’s popular and what’s not, you can check out TikTok’s trending topics or you can click on one of the top-lined items on the platform’s home page.
TikTok has become the epicenter of social media, and with good reason. The platform is always abuzz with activity — users are constantly sharing and re-sharing content — and it has created a community of content creators who are dedicated to making entertaining and informative videos.