They Don't Know
Where it came from
A 2020 Twitter-format meme showing a cartoon character at a party, alone in the corner, thinking "they don't know I [something deeply uncool]". Became the definitive "nobody at this party knows my niche hobby" format.
A simple cartoon figure stands alone in the corner of a party. Everyone else is clustered together, having fun. The lone figure's thought bubble reads "they don't know I [insert oddly specific niche thing]". "They don't know I cried at a short film about a lighthouse this morning." The whole joke is the chasm between you and the "normal" people across the room, and your conviction that the niche thing would blow their minds if only they knew.
It's a loneliness-at-a-party meme but reframed as a flex. You're not actually sad about being alone — you're patiently waiting for someone to recognize the depth of your inner life. Which of course they won't, because they're too busy doing small talk.
Still heavily used. The format has survived because it's the perfect shape for any self-conscious inside joke.
Search interest, over time
↳ data courtesy of google trends
