A Definitive Ranking of the Most Popular Memes Inspired By ‘I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson’
Comedian Tim Robinson’s I Think You Should Leave truly is the show of our time. By that, we, of course, mean the Time of the Internet. The Netflix series is filled to the brim with cringe-comedy centered around socially awkward humans acting unreasonable to the point of becoming detached from any form of reality. That makes the show immensely memeable, with almost every line of dialogue worthy of reference for anyone who is Extremely Online.
Given that the show is basically a series of memes and even has its own meme generator, it would be nearly impossible to list every single one that has sprung from this existentially absurd sketch comedy show. However, there have been some moments throughout its two seasons that have stood the test of our online patience...
Sloppy Steaks
The Sloppy Steaks meme comes from a long scene in which Robinson’s character tries to convince everyone that a newborn cries in his arms because the baby knows he used to be “a real piece of shit.” One example of how he used to be an absolute douche of a guy sees Robinson walk into a restaurant, Truffoni's, and join his friends for some sloppy steaks — steaks with water dumped all over them. The internet (or at least one part of it) ate up the line and has since used it to refer to a person with past misdemeanors, or as a war cry of their own supposed badassery. That, or they simply make jokes like this:
The Shirt
The Dan Flashes shirt from Season Two has really made the rounds thanks to that intricate pattern that folks apparently now see everywhere around them — from the human cell to the Met Gala’s stairs design. Someone should show them an early internet screensaver.
When an office snot gives his co-worker crap about pee spots on his pants, Robinson’s character comes to the man’s rescue, emphatically stating that “those ain’t piss dots” but rather a type of pants that come with said spots. He then tells the guys that there’s a site online selling these “calico cut pants,” only to later reveal to the piss-pants guy that it’s a front to save men from embarrassment. Robinson then goes into explaining how the site functions wholly on user’s donations and that, in order to enjoy the privilege of this site covering up your inability to shake well, “you’ve got to give.”
The line has been used in many different online commentaries, with the latest meme poking fun at Elon Musk pathetically begging Twitter users to give him money.
Cosmic Gumbo
Biff Wiff plays Santa Claus (as in, the real Santa Claus), who is also a foul-mouthed action movie star in Season Two. We first meet the character in the trailer of his latest movie, Detective Crashmore, and later at a press junket where he talks about seeing everyone naked once a year and repeatedly referring to his new movie as a “cosmic gumbo.” It’s a perfect phrase that’s now littered across the interwebs.
‘I’m Scared By How Much I Need Wine!’
Patti Harrison is one of the funniest recurring performers in the show, and her part in Season Two‘s “The Capital Room” sketch is her at her absolute best. A parody of Shark Tank, Harrison plays an investor who got rich thanks to accidentally getting sewed into the big Charlie Brown pants at the Thanksgiving Day parade, then suing the city. She‘s an unhinged girlboss-type who talks about buying expensive wine before bellowing, “I‘m scared by how much I need wine!” No surprise that this moment quickly caught on with everyone.
‘I Don’t Know What Any of This Shit Is’
One of the classics, it’s Robinson holding up traffic as he tries to park his car, only to tell an angry driver that he can’t drive and that he’s really fucking scared. It’s hilarious and also very much the appropriate response to absolutely everything.
Karl Havoc, aka ‘I Don’t Even Want to Be Around Anymore’
Many of the sketches in I Think You Should Leave start off with a funny and/or bonkers premise, only to devolve into the main character (usually Robinson) experiencing some kind of random existential crisis. The “Prank Show” is a classic example, as Robinson plays a prank-show host dressed up in mad prosthetics, only to quickly get dark and depressing as he contemplates what kicking a table in the middle of the mall has to do with “the greater good.” Naturally, many folks can relate to the man with the Gary Busey-like mask.
Focus Group Man
One of the most quotable sketches, “Focus Group,” gave us Ruben Rabasa playing a wildly confident geezer with some absurd suggestions — like having a car manufacturer make a “great steering wheel that doesn’t fly off when you’re driving.” The sketch was supposedly inspired by Ford’s 2018 recall due to steering wheel troubles, but no one really cares about that. We all just want to hear Rabasa talk smack to corporates in a room and say, “Oh my God, he admit it!” every five minutes.
‘I Have Triples’
In “Diner Wink,” Robinson plays a dad who lies to his kid about the ice cream store being closed due to cold weather. He winks at Bob Odenkirk’s character sitting at the diner booth next to them, hoping the man would play along with the lie — not knowing how out of hand that lie was going to get. Soon, Odenkirk’s character is telling the kid about all the supposed classic cars he owns because some folks only get to verbalize their fantasies to strangers in a diner. Oh, and he even claims to have triples of some of these cars because “triples is best.”
Ghost Tour Guy
It is, again, one of those sketches where every second line is meme-worthy because it can be used to reference practically anything. People have used it to make sports jokes…
…to arguing the validity of folks changing rules…
…to changing one filthy word because some of these lines are gifts that keep on giving.
Hot Dog Man, aka ‘We’re All Trying to Find the Guy Who Did This’
This sketch from Season One perfectly encapsulates the show’s relatability as people have been using the Hot Dog Man meme ad nauseam to point out the hypocrites and the full-of-its in articles and on social media. It’s been used to mock politicians, and it’s been used by politicians to point out bad players trying to deflect blame. It’s not only the most memorable meme of the show, but it might just be the most memorable meme of the new millennia.
