What Is the Get a Load of This Guy Meme? Meaning, Origin, and How It’s Used Online
Get a Load of This Guy Meme: Have you ever been scrolling through comments or social media, and are met with someone saying, “Get a load of this guy,” with a side-eye reaction image? That phrase – filled with sarcasm and scornful rolling of the eyes – has become a piece of online humor this generation knows all too well. Going back as far as the early internet forums, reaction images, and meme culture, it is mixed with both timeless sarcasm and nostalgic punchlines re-wrapped from the likes of Wayne’s World, Friends, and American Psycho.
This article will discuss what it means, where it came from, how it has changed in the meme ecosystem, and why it’s still laughably relevant! If you have ever laughed at a drama-filled reaction GIF calling someone out with that iconic line, then you’re about to get the full history.
#1 What Does “Get a Load of This Guy” Mean?
“Get a Load of This Guy,” is an idiomatic expression, typically used sarcastically, to draw attention to someone acting full of themselves, oblivious, outrageous, or just simply funny. This expression can genuinely compliment brilliance, but more often than not, it’s lampooning conceit or something ridiculous.
Online, it has arguably become the Sarcastic Catchphrase of choice. For either highlighting a person making a ludicrous claim, or highlighting cringe-worthy content, this phrase literally means, “Get a Load of this guy/gal,” seriously. The tone tends to be cheeky, the delivery passive-aggressive and the context is almost always ironic.
#2 What Is The The Origin of the Get a Load of This Guy Meme?
The phrase comes from early 20th-century English, but its modern popularity emerged in the 1992 cult classic Wayne’s World. In the movie, Wayne (Mike Myers) uses the line while pointing to his friend Garth, gesturing at the camera in incredulity.
Online, the meme began to circulate around 2010, gaining momentum on 4chan and other imageboards. A Wayne’s World still (the “this guy, cam” frame) became the prototypical reaction image, inspiring spin-offs featuring Patrick Bateman from American Psycho and Ross Geller from Friends.
#3 How the Get a Load of This Guy Meme Is Used Today?
Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, Instagram—they’re all inundated with this meme. The phrase is used to make fun of exaggerated takes, cringe moments, and funny bragging. They will include:
- Cringe or hot takes plowed by influencers
- Reaction images, zoom ins, or exaggerated GIFs
- Variations such as “Get a load of this girl” or “This dude right here”
- Crossover formats with NPC-style disillusionment or Sigma Male memes
It’s still just as useful in the sarcasm toolbox—whether to mock or praise.
#4 What Are the Most Viral and Creative Variations of the Wayne Meme?
From traditional Wayne stills to remix-style japes, there are an infinite amount of variations of the meme:
- “Get a Load of This Girl” versions switch the context, but the sarcasm remains
- NPC edits emphasize internet moods of disconnection
- Ohio memes use the format to draw attention to just dumb or simplistic content
- Celeb cameos, where users graft famous people onto the reaction meme
This is a format that travels culture and genres without effort.
#5 Why the Get a Load of This Guy Meme Stays Popular?
“Get a Load of This Guy” is going to be around for a long time because of:
- Relatable – we’ve all witnessed someone confidently say something stupid.
- Reaction-capable – in a world full of GIFs, it is visual sarcasm at it’s best.
- Nostalgia – Wayne’s World perfectly captures a sweet spot of throwback and timeless comic timing.
Combine early internet culture with today’s meme-savvy sarcasm and you have a recipe for evergreen content.
#6 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is “Get a Load of This Guy” always insulting?
Not always. It can signal admiration (Hey, look at this talent!) but often it’s used to mock overconfidence or cringe.
2. Can it be used playfully?
Absolutely. Many people use it to rib friends in friendly banter or calm down an overexcited moment.
3. Where can I find meme templates?
Imgflip offers popular templates—including Wayne, Patrick Bateman, and Ross—perfect for custom meme.
#7 Conclusion
The Get a Load of This Guy meme is not merely a humorous caption – it is what we have established as a cultural artifact of internet sarcasm. As the product of a cheeky moment from Wayne’s World, this meme has become shorthand, globally, for things like mockery, disbelief, and a good old-fashioned eye-roll. It has been rebranded and remixed throughout decades of meme culture, sporting Patrick Bateman’s ominous smirk, Ross Geller’s socially awkwardness, and, even SpongeBob’s exceptionally wide-eyed cringe. At its heart, it is not simply a manifestation of mocking people, it is a presentation of absurdity that, while relatable and sometimes uproariously hilarious.
In a cacophony of hot takes, self-important opinions, and daily doses of cringe in this digital world, the “Get a Load of This Guy” meme works because it allows users to express disapproval while maintaining the hilarity of saying it with humor, rather than hostile intention. It’s visual and adaptable, and it is steeped in the nuances of how online communities engage with one another. The camaraderie of sarcastic Gen Z and millennial spaces is a natural home for this meme, whether calling out buddies in a cheeky way or dragging an internet personality for their tone-deafness, not meme can do the job with less effort so successfully.
Let’s also consider that this meme is not just a phenomenon, it’s the next iteration of along ritual to which this expression is tied on the evolving landscape of internet expression.