--- description: The comedian's face is being used to depict a range of scenarios online. Here's where the meme came from. title: The Kevin James Meme That's Taking Over the Internet image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt99b8b9dafa6722fb/698a40b6b21a9c56605079d6/GettyImages-81156287.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [internet culture](/tag/internet-culture/) ## internet culture Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Kevin James Meme That's Taking Over the Internet ## Video: The Spider-Man Meme Makes An Appearance in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse [Watch (HLS stream): The Spider-Man Meme Makes An Appearance in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/N1lbHq8g.m3u8) (1:18)  _Published 2023-06-02. For years, one meme in the Spider-Man canon has appeared far and wide across social media. Even the least chronically online among us have probably encountered the Spider-Man pointing meme._  by [Moises Mendez](/author/moises-mendez-ii/)  ## Moises Mendez Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 26, 2023 4:10 PM CUT  Promotional portrait of American actor and comedian Kevin James in costume as the charcter Doug Heffernan as he poses with his hands in his pockets on the set of the television sitcom 'The King of Queens,' late 1990s. Promotional portrait of American actor and comedian Kevin James in costume as the charcter Doug Heffernan as he poses with his hands in his pockets on the set of the television sitcom 'The King of Queens,' late 1990s.Photo by Tony Esparza/CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images  by [Moises Mendez](/author/moises-mendez-ii/)  ## Moises Mendez Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 26, 2023 4:10 PM CUT There’s no rhyme or reason as to why so much of what we consume on the internet becomes popular. The internet takes hold of something—thanks to a shared whim or collective need for something meaningless over which to seek connection—and a [viral meme](https://time.com/5853677/best-memes-2020/ "undefined") is born. In today’s edition: photos of Kevin James. Several different photos of James have been making the rounds on X over the past few days, many of them promotional shots for his turn-of-the-millennium sitcom _The King of Queens_. But the one that’s getting the most traction is a photo of him with his hands in his pocket and a cringey-mischievous smirk painted across his face, his legs askew—[a la Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://x.com/allofthel0ve/status/1705991083472339269?s=20 "undefined"). Why? One X user commented on a post asking that same exact question with the simple explanation, “We’re just in a silly goofy mood.” > [](https://twitter.com/nascakess/status/1706664850653581823) As with any viral meme, the origins are impossible to trace with certainty, but the website KnowYourMeme.com says that the trend seems to have originated last week. Users began posting a 1998 photo of James on the set of _The King of Queens_ all over social media, with an array of comical captions. One of the first people to post the photo was a user named @champagneanyone, on Sept. 21, with the caption, “me after \[one\] double rum and diet” accompanied by this random photo of James. It received over 24,000 likes and seems to have launched a meme format with infinite possibilities. > [](https://twitter.com/ChampagneAnyone/status/1705039587008270484) People started using the photo and adding captions that describe scenarios that match the comedian’s stance and facial expression. > [](https://twitter.com/ayeejuju/status/1705994459769696331?s=20) > [](https://twitter.com/SophRossss/status/1706048050597073154?s=20) > [](https://twitter.com/elgueroatl/status/1706087351045231005?s=20) Then, social media users started finding different photos of James from the sitcom's press shoots. “They just had Kevin James doing anything for those _King of Queens_ press shoots,” one person posted on X with photos of James coming out of a steaming sewer and another in which he's making that same mischievous smirking face as he holds onto a scaffolding beam. > [](https://twitter.com/LucaGuadagnegro/status/1706409427350499343) > [](https://twitter.com/alshipley/status/1706322172732375322?s=20) The trend took a wholesome turn when Ben Stiller, whose late father Jerry Stiller [played James’ character’s father-in-law](https://twitter.com/LeahRemini/status/1705722164371161128 "undefined") in the show, posted on X to let the cast know how much his dad enjoyed their company. “Chiming in here to say how much my Dad loved working with everyone on this show and how meaningful all those friendships were and are,” Stiller wrote. Leah Remini, who played James’ wife, also [posted a clip from the show](https://twitter.com/LeahRemini/status/1706509370027290943 "undefined"). > [](https://twitter.com/BenStiller/status/1705087692290052446) The life cycle of a trend on social media is unpredictable, and this one may not be with us for long. But we’re happy for this random, silly harmless one to stick around. ### More From TIME ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6317579/kevin-james-meme/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6317579/kevin-james-meme/"},"headline":"The Kevin James Meme That's Taking Over the Internet","datePublished":"2023-09-26T16:10:26.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T16:27:02.591Z","description":"The comedian's face is being used to depict a range of scenarios online. 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