The ‘Pepe the King Prawn’ meme is taking off on TikTok, with thousands of people using it to share their worst moments.
TikTok’s viral trend features Pepe the King Prawn, a fan-favorite Muppets character, paired with hilarious captions recounting awkward or embarrassing moments. The meme is set to a rendition of Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’ and has taken the platform by storm.
This character first appeared in The Muppets in 1996, quickly earning a place in fans’ hearts with his snarky wit, signature Spanish accent, and refusal to be called a shrimp. His expressive face and blank stare have made him the perfect candidate for a relatable meme format.
How the ‘Pepe the King Prawn’ trend started
In late November, TikToker caitycline21 sparked the trend with a series of memes featuring an image of Pepe giving a blank, deadpan stare. Her first post captioned, “Sometimes I’m late because I’m spending too much time like this,” used Pepe to represent the struggle of self-reflection.
However, it was her follow-up meme, “The face I make when I’m trying to maintain great customer service while getting screamed at,” that went viral, racking up over 3 million views in just a week. Pepe’s unimpressed expression and the relatable caption struck a chord, prompting others to join in.
The trend involves overlaying personal, often awkward or cringeworthy anecdotes over the image of Pepe’s face. Most posts use the same audio, which is a slowed-down, melancholic version of ‘Like a Prayer.’
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Some popular examples include “When someone starts explaining the rules to a card game I’ve never played before,” “My face when I daze out during a meeting and someone says my name,” and “My face when starting the exam that is in fact is nothing like the lectures.”
The trend continues to grow, with countless users putting their own spin on the meme and racking up millions of views across the app.
So far, over 5,024 videos have been posted under the hashtag #pepethekingprawn, and viewers are absolutely loving the fad, due to the hilariously relatable meme captions.
Other viral trends that have boasted millions of views on TikTok are the “I like my suitcase” craze and the popular “Superman” dance.
