Me In Public / My Headphones

The origin of the "Me In Public / My Headphones" meme comes from an episode of the French prank show "Le Pire Stagiaire." In this episode, French rapper JNR appears wearing AirPods, and this image became the foundation of the meme.

This meme first appeared on August 4, 2020, when Twitter user @NotLineMary combined an image of JNR with Pop Smoke's song "44 Bulldog" and captioned it "Me in public / my headphones." Soon after, various Twitter users adapted this format to create their own versions, spreading the meme widely.

The "Me In Public / My Headphones" meme gained popularity by humorously contrasting how people appear in public versus what they are actually listening to through their headphones. For example, someone might have a serious expression in public while secretly enjoying upbeat pop songs or anime music. This relatable contrast resonated with many, making the meme widely shared. The format "Me in public: My headphones" quickly spread on Twitter, with numerous variations featuring different songs.