What Are Those
Meaning
What are those is a catchphrase that is generally used in context with hideous or unfashionable footwear.
It was popularized via a video trend on the platform Vine during the mid 2010s.
Origin
What are those was an existing expression well before the videos popularized it.
An article of the term was uploaded to Urban Dictionary in 2011 by JOHNxRYAN95.
However, the original video was born in 2015, when a man, called Brandon Moore, addressed a police officer by calling him out on rocking a rather ugly pair of shoes, while yelling What are those, and uploaded the clip on Instagram.
Spread and Usage
The clip spread first on Instagram and soon was added on Vine and then YouTube as well.
On Vine, what are those became a trend that launched a series of video remixes and parodies.
External References
- Washingtonpost.com – “WHAT ARE THOSE?”: a subversive sneaker meme, explained for the Olds
- Buzzfeednews.com – The Man Behind The “What Are Those?” Meme Has Died At 31
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