You know, I'm something of a scientist myself
Where it came from
This comes from the 1994 movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, where Jim Carrey's character makes this awkward, forced smile. It became a meme around the mid-2010s when people started using the screenshot to express fake happiness or sarcastic positivity.
The meme is basically Jim Carrey pulling off the most unconvincing, uncomfortable smile you've ever seen—like he's trying way too hard to look happy when he's absolutely not feeling it. It's perfect for when you're pretending everything is fine but you're actually dying inside, or when you're being passive-aggressive about something. People use it to caption situations where they're forcing positivity, dealing with awkward social situations, or just trying to look chill when they're freaking out. The beauty of it is that everyone instantly gets what that expression means without needing words.
Search interest, over time
↳ data courtesy of google trends
