The Flynn Rider Unpopular Opinion meme shows the character from Tangled smirking, his arms crossed and surrounded by pointed swords. Since 2020, this has been the go-to image to ask for or express opinions on any topic that might get you in Rider’s position.
It’s perfect for social media, where people will metaphorically tear you apart for saying the wrong thing. Of course, this doesn’t stop many people from voicing their controversial thoughts.
Meme basics:
- Meme creator: 9gag user yamcha968
- Meme type: Reaction image / engagement farming
- First appearance: March 30, 2015
- Origin source: Disney‘s Tangled
- Used to convey: No regrets in the face of online hate
- Peak popularity: September 2020
What is the Flynn Rider Unpopular Opinion meme?
If you’re on Twitter or Reddit, you’ve likely seen a tweet with the image of Rider from Tangled facing an alarming number of swords pointed out of his face with a smug look under a question along the lines of “What opinion on [topic] will put you in this situation?”
It’s a great method for engagement farming. People love Disney movies and they love to share their opinions, especially if they think a lot of people don’t want to hear them.
Before this engagement method emerged in 2020, people were using Rider as a more classic reaction image to describe what happens when they speak their minds on a subject.
Templates
Meme origins and spread
The image itself comes from the film Tangled, which tells the story of Rapunzel and was released on Nov. 24, 2010. In one scene, just after a musical number, thief and eventual hero Flynn Rider tells a tavern full of ruffians that he doesn’t sing. In response, they all threaten him with swords. Even though Rider did not voice an opinion, someone spotted its meme potential.
That would be one yamcha968 on the humor site 9gag on March 30, 2015. They posted the screenshot from this moment and opined that “should replace that stupid penguin as the new unpopular opinion meme.” And so it did, though it took a few years for it to happen.
2020 Twitter adoption
On Aug. 24, 2020, Twitter user @Acura_45 posted the image declaring that someone named Piper is the “worst waifu.”
For example, user @skullcano posted one of the earliest of these tweets using the phrase “will get you in this situation” by asking for comic opinions while offering the first: “Richard Corbin comics aren’t that great.” Many others posted variations of this meme around the same time using a different type of caption, such as, “Drop a movie take that would get this type of reaction.”
Flynn Rider Unpopular Opinion meme Halloween costume
This engagement meme became so popular and enduring that it came to inspire Halloween costumes. This year, YouTuber Crispy Concords recreated the iconic image, complete with a slew of swords, as part of his spooky season get-up.
He wrote he “won Halloween” for 2024, and over 442K people seemed to agree.
Meme examples
Related memes:
- Why the Internet can’t stop remixing Disney princesses
- Princess Merida is spitting some angry Scottish slang in this hilarious meme
- Unpopular Opinion Puffin banned from Reddit’s meme kingdom
- This ‘most unpopular opinion about Batman’ meme makes light of the dark franchise
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