The Bizarre True Story: 7 Ways "This Happened To My Buddy Eric" Became The Internet's Most Absurd Meme

Every corner of the internet has its own unique folklore, and few phrases are as instantly recognizable—or as utterly nonsensical—as "This happened to my buddy Eric." This simple, declarative sentence has transcended its humble origins to become a ubiquitous copypasta, a minimalist piece of absurdist humor that can be dropped into any conversation, video, or movie review to instantly derail it with a dark, unexplained backstory. As of late 2024, the phrase remains a staple of online commentary, a perfect example of how the most random, low-effort content can achieve viral immortality.

The core of the joke lies in its vague, unsettling implication: that the dramatic, unbelievable, or often tragic events being discussed are not just fictional, but are a direct, personal anecdote involving a friend named Eric. From a single, now-iconic movie review, the meme has spread across platforms like Letterboxd, TikTok, and Reddit, proving that sometimes, the less you say, the funnier—and more viral—the joke becomes.

The Unexpected Origin of the Buddy Eric Phenomenon

The story of "buddy Eric" is a modern tale of internet serendipity, beginning not on a massive social media site, but on a niche platform dedicated to film criticism: Letterboxd. This website allows users to log and review movies, and its community is known for both serious analysis and high-effort comedic reviews.

• 5 Shocking Facts About Anna Congdon Penn State Sweetheart To Nfl Fiances Social Media Firestorm Cc90e

The One-Sentence Review That Launched a Thousand Memes

The genesis of the meme dates back to April 2020, during the early days of the global pandemic when internet usage—and meme creation—was at an all-time high. The target of the original review was the 2019 neo-noir psychological thriller, Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character, Arthur Fleck.

A Letterboxd user posted a one-sentence review for Joker that simply read: "This happened to my buddy Eric."

• The Context: The film Joker depicts a man's traumatic descent into madness, culminating in a violent, chaotic, and anti-establishment spree.
• The Implication: By claiming "This happened to my buddy Eric," the reviewer was making the absurd, darkly humorous suggestion that their friend, Eric, had undergone the exact same series of traumatic events, leading him to become a real-life version of the Joker.
• The Impact: The review was so hilariously minimalist and unsettling in its implication that it quickly went viral, becoming one of the most-liked and most-shared reviews in Letterboxd history.

This single, non-sequitur review immediately resonated with the internet's love for absurdist humor and dark comedy. It was a perfect, self-contained joke that required no further explanation, relying entirely on the audience's knowledge of the movie's plot for its punchline.

• 7 Shocking Things Jessica Capshaw Revealed About Growing Up With Steven Spielberg As Her Stepfather 892ho

The Meme's Evolution: From Letterboxd to Trollge Incidents

While the original review provided the template, the meme's true power lies in its versatility as a copypasta. It quickly broke free from the confines of movie reviews and became a multi-platform phenomenon, adapting its meaning to fit new contexts.

The Connection to the Trollface Incident Memes

One of the most significant moments in the meme's spread was its association with the "Trollface Incident" or "Trollge" horror genre that gained massive popularity in late 2020.

• Trollface Incident: These memes typically involve a multi-step process detailing a bizarre, often cosmic or body-horror related incident, usually involving the iconic Trollface character. They are characterized by a sense of escalating dread and inexplicable chaos.
• The Copypasta Use: The phrase "This happened to my buddy Eric" became the perfect, deadpan response to these elaborate, unsettling "incident" narratives on platforms like TikTok and Reddit. A user would post a detailed, terrifying "Trollge" story, and the top comment would simply be the Eric copypasta.
• The New Joke: In this context, the phrase implies that the friend, Eric, is either a perpetual victim of these bizarre, horrific incidents or, even funnier, the one responsible for causing them. It grounds the cosmic horror in a mundane, personal anecdote, heightening the absurdity.

Minimalist Reviewing and Absurdist Humor

On Letterboxd, the phrase became a popular template for "minimalist reviews," a trend where users try to summarize an entire film with a single, often non-sequitur, sentence. The joke is often amplified when applied to films that are dramatically different from Joker.

• Shania Twains Bold Statement Why The Star Chose Nude Photoshoots At 57 Qf9cg

For example, applying "This happened to my buddy Eric" to a G-rated animated film like The Nutcracker or a historical documentary suggests that Eric's life is a constant, unexpected roller coaster of genre-bending trauma. The more bizarre or inappropriate the film, the funnier the review becomes, turning the simple phrase into a tool for meta-commentary on the film's plot.

The Topical Authority and Entities of the Eric Meme

To fully understand the cultural weight of "This happened to my buddy Eric," one must look at the network of entities it connects to. This simple sentence acts as a bridge between several key areas of internet culture:

Key Entities and LSI Keywords

The meme's topical authority is built on its deep links to specific internet phenomena and cultural touchstones. These entities include:

• Film and Review Culture: Joker (2019), Letterboxd, Joaquin Phoenix, Todd Phillips, Arthur Fleck, minimalist review, film criticism, one-liner review.
• Meme and Internet Culture: Copypasta, Trollface Incident, Trollge, TikTok, Reddit, internet folklore, absurdist humor, non-sequitur, viral content, dark comedy, schizoposting.
• The Core Concept: Buddy Eric, Eric's phase, personal anecdote, vague claim, escalating dread.

The phrase is a masterclass in low-effort, high-reward humor. It requires zero originality from the person posting it, yet it consistently garners thousands of likes because it taps into a shared, established piece of internet lore. It's a signal to other users that the commenter is "in on the joke," participating in a piece of collective online history.

Why the "Buddy Eric" Joke Endures

Despite being over four years old, "This happened to my buddy Eric" shows no signs of fading. Its longevity can be attributed to several factors that make it a perfect piece of evergreen internet content:

1. The Universality of "The Buddy Story": Everyone has a friend whose life seems to be a magnet for strange or dramatic events. The phrase taps into this universal experience, elevating mundane gossip to the level of cinematic tragedy.
2. The Ambiguity of Eric: Is Eric a victim, a psychopath, or just a guy who had a really bad week? The lack of context forces the reader to fill in the blanks, making the joke personally tailored to the content it’s commenting on.
3. Deadpan Delivery: The phrase is delivered with a complete lack of emotion, contrasting sharply with the often dramatic or horrific content it’s responding to. This deadpan tone is a hallmark of successful modern internet humor.
4. The Power of Copypasta: As a short, easily-typed phrase, it's effortless to deploy. It serves as a perfect engagement tool, often becoming the top comment on viral posts due to its high like count and immediate recognition factor.
5. Cultural Signifier: Using the phrase is a form of cultural shorthand. It instantly signals to other users that the commenter is fluent in the language of Letterboxd and Trollge memes, fostering a sense of in-group community.

In a world of complex, rapidly evolving memes, "This happened to my buddy Eric" stands out for its elegant simplicity. It is a one-sentence masterpiece of internet folklore, a testament to the power of a vague, unsettling claim, and a constant reminder that somewhere out there, poor Eric is probably having a very, very bad day.