There's A Dark Story Behind The Arthur Meme That Is Taking Over Sports

In case you’re a little too old for all this, “Arthur” is an animated PBS series that has been on the air since 1996. It revolves around the experiences of an 8-year-old anthropomorphic aardvark named Arthur. It was popular with early Millennials when it came out, and remains popular with children today.

But despite his popularity and long run, Arthur has never been more culturally trenchant than he is right now.

Observe:

So that — and again, if you’re too old for this it could get confusing — is a still from a scene in Arthur in which Arthur is angry, and it has become a meme, a meme that was used by Lebron James in what seemed like a very passive-aggressive manner.

Most of us probably know nothing about the context of this still image, so I’m going to let you in on something that may well blow your mind.

In that image, Arthur is mere seconds away from punching his little sister, D.W.

As you can see, D.W. has broken a toy airplane Arthur had built. That alone may not have sent Arthur into a blind rage, but he loses it when she insults his workmanship, saying, “It’s not my fault you made a plane that can’t fly.”

Then he socks her, knocking her off her feet and sending her off crying.

It’s not a good look for Arthur, but it is familiar to anyone who’s ever experienced a boiling rage.