The Rock Meme EXPLAINED: Why Dwayne Johnson’s Eyebrow Raise Took Over the Internet
The Rock meme is pure internet gold, and at Grumpy Sharks, we can’t get enough of it. That iconic eyebrow raise says so much with just a glance—funny, confident, and totally memorable. We’ll break down how this simple move went viral and why it still makes everyone laugh online. If you’ve ever found yourself mimicking The Rock’s eyebrow, you’re about to see why it became such a classic.
#1 What Is “The Rock Eyebrow Raise” Meme?
The Rock’s eyebrow raise meme comes from a series of reaction clips featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson lifting his eyebrow, often synced with the Vine Thud sound. This gesture perfectly captures suspicion, surprise, or playful skepticism. The Rock meme first gained traction in early 2021 but exploded in popularity around September when people started pairing these eyebrow-raising moments with “suspect” videos, creating a fresh wave of 21st-century humor. Today, it’s a go-to reaction format online, blending The Rock’s iconic charm with clever, relatable jokes.
#2 What Is The Origin of the Rock Meme?
The Rock’s eyebrow raise meme originated from his signature wrestling move called “The People’s Eyebrow,” which he popularized in WWE promos starting in the late 1990s.
During his wrestling career, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson popularized the eyebrow raise—a signature expression where he lifts one eyebrow, lowers the other, and tilts his head. After adopting the nickname “The People’s Champ” in 1998, he began calling this gesture “The People’s Eyebrow,” making it a hallmark of his persona throughout wrestling and his movie career.
Fast forward to October 2019, Johnson posted an Instagram video featuring this eyebrow raise, which quickly gained millions of views and likes over the following years. In early 2021, a TikTok video of him doing the same expression set to Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” went viral, gathering even more attention.
By late 2019, fans started using clips of this eyebrow raise as reaction memes on Instagram, with posts gaining thousands of views and likes. In March 2021, these videos blew up on TikTok through edits that paired Johnson’s eyebrow raise with the famous Vine Thud sound—though the original creator of this edit remains unknown. Around this time, the meme also earned the nickname “Sus Rock,” linking it to the popularity of suspicion-themed “Among Us” memes, thanks to the expression’s perfect look of playful doubt.
This mix of nostalgia, social media sharing, and clever remixing helped The Rock’s eyebrow raise become a viral meme staple across platforms like Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
#3 How Has The Rock Meme Spread On The Internet?
The Rock eyebrow raise meme saw a massive viral surge between March and April 2021, spreading quickly across platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and iFunny. During this period, users reposted and remixed videos featuring his iconic expression countless times. By May 2021, edits combining clips from old interviews and reactions started gaining traction, with some Instagram posts reaching tens of thousands of views and likes.
Starting in late July and August 2021, TikTok became the main hub for the meme’s explosion, as creators began combining various reaction clips into compilations that quickly amassed hundreds of thousands of views. YouTube also saw popular uploads mixing The Rock’s eyebrow raise with other viral content, some hitting hundreds of thousands to millions of views within months.
September 2021 marked the meme’s peak popularity, especially through the Vine Thud edit of a TikTok video, which became the go-to reaction format for “suspect” or suspicious content. This sparked the creation of several dedicated TikTok accounts like @rock.and.football, @the_rockreaction, and @r0ckreaction, with their videos garnering millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes. The meme’s versatility and perfect timing with popular “sus” trends helped it maintain widespread presence on TikTok and YouTube throughout the fall of 2021.
This multi-platform wave of reposts, edits, and creative takes turned The Rock’s eyebrow raise from a simple gesture into a lasting internet sensation.
#4 Why Did the Rock Meme Go Viral?
The Rock meme went viral because of three key factors that worked together to turn a decades-old wrestling gesture into a popular internet reaction:
1. Recognizable Celebrity Branding:
Dwayne Johnson’s global fame gave the meme instant visibility and cultural weight. His persona crosses generations and genres, making it easy for a wide audience to connect with the meme (University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Media Studies, 2021).
2. Reaction Meme Versatility:
The eyebrow raise is highly adaptable, able to express sarcasm, disbelief, humor, and more. This flexibility made it perfect for reuse across many platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram (University of Melbourne, School of Digital and Interactive Media, 2023).
3. Nostalgia-Fueled Digital Circulation:
Many millennials and Gen Z users who grew up watching early 2000s WWE or The Rock’s family movies embraced the meme as a funny callback to their childhood, helping spread it widely online (University of Chicago, Department of Sociology and Pop Culture, 2022).
Together, these elements explain why a simple facial expression evolved into a globally recognized and beloved meme format.
#5 What Are Popular Variants and Contexts Of the Rock Meme?
1. The “POV” Format Using The Rock’s Face as a Punchline
One of the most popular spins on The Rock meme is the “POV” (point of view) format, where his eyebrow raise or facial expression is used as a punchline to represent the viewer’s reaction or a specific situation. This format plays on humor by putting the audience directly into awkward, funny, or suspicious moments, making the meme highly relatable and widely shareable.
2. Deepfakes and AI Voiceovers Featuring The Rock
With advances in AI technology, creators have made deepfake videos and voiceovers featuring The Rock, adding new layers to the meme’s reach. These AI-generated clips often exaggerate his iconic eyebrow raise or mimic his voice to create humorous or surreal content, pushing the meme beyond simple images and into dynamic, multimedia experiences.
3. The “Double Rock” Stare Meme from the 2022 TikTok Trend
In 2022, a TikTok trend popularized the “Double Rock” stare, where two versions of The Rock’s intense eyebrow raise stare are edited side-by-side or layered together. This variant exaggerates the original meme’s suspicious or intense vibe, amplifying the humor and creating a fresh take that quickly caught on across social media.
#6 How To Make The Rock Meme? (template)
Making your own Rock eyebrow raise meme is pretty easy and a lot of fun. Here’s how to get started:
1. Find a Good Pic or Clip:
Grab a clear image or short video of The Rock doing that classic eyebrow raise. You can find plenty on TikTok, YouTube, or meme sites (Imgflip).
2. Think About Your Caption:
What feeling or reaction do you want to show? Suspicion, sarcasm, or just plain funny? Match your caption to The Rock’s expression for the best laughs.
3. Use a Simple Editing Tool:
Pop your image or video into an easy meme maker like Canva, Kapwing, or Imgflip. Add your caption in bold, clear text.
4. Add Sound If You Want:
If it’s a video meme, throw in some popular sounds like the Vine Thud to give it extra punch.
5. Share and Enjoy:
Post it on TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, or wherever you hang out online—and watch people react!
With these steps, you’ll be crafting Rock memes like a pro in no time.
#7 Conclusion
The Rock meme perfectly captures a mix of humor, attitude, and nostalgia that keeps it fresh and relatable. Its journey from wrestling promos to viral internet sensation shows how a simple, iconic expression can connect with millions across generations. Whether you’re sharing a quick reaction or creating your own meme, The Rock’s signature look remains a timeless way to add a little fun and swagger to online conversations. So go ahead—raise that eyebrow and join the meme party!
