5 Reasons Why The 'Mr. Incredible Me Too Kid' Scene Is The Most Existential Moment In Pixar History

The "Mr. Incredible Me Too Kid" exchange, a seemingly minor moment from the 2004 Pixar classic The Incredibles, has recently resurfaced as a powerful cultural shorthand, perfectly capturing a feeling of shared existential dread and a longing for a more "amazing" life. As of late 2024 and heading into 2025, the scene's dialogue—where a disillusioned Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) sighs, "Me too, kid," to a small boy's innocent question—continues to resonate deeply, becoming a viral meme that transcends its animated origins to speak to a universal sense of mid-life stagnation and nostalgia.

This single, brief interaction, directed by Brad Bird, is a masterclass in cinematic economy, encapsulating Bob Parr's entire character arc and the film's central theme of suppressed greatness. It’s not just a funny meme; it’s a profound commentary on the cost of conformity, the weight of responsibility, and the struggle to recapture the passion of one's youth. The sheer emotional weight packed into this three-second clip is why it remains one of the most discussed and analyzed moments in the entire Disney-Pixar catalog.

The Fictional Profile of 'The Boy' (The Me Too Kid)

While the character is never officially named in the film's credits beyond "The Boy" or "Kid on Tricycle," his role is monumental in defining the emotional state of the protagonist, Mr. Incredible (Bob Parr).

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• Character Role: A nameless, minor background character.
• First Appearance: The Incredibles (2004).
• Setting of Scene: Outside Bob Parr’s office building at Insuricare, after a particularly grueling and soul-crushing day at his mundane insurance job.
• The Iconic Dialogue: The Boy approaches Bob Parr and asks, "What are you waiting for? Something amazing, I guess..."
• Mr. Incredible's Reply: Bob Parr (voiced by Craig T. Nelson) sighs and replies, "Me too, kid."
• Thematic Function: He acts as a mirror for Bob Parr's inner turmoil, voicing the exact thought—the desire for a return to greatness and purpose—that Bob is suppressing. He represents the unjaded hope and expectation that Bob has lost.
• The Kid's Voice Actor: The specific voice actor for this minor role is often uncredited, a testament to the scene's power being in the writing and the performance of Craig T. Nelson, rather than the child's identity.

The Existential Weight of a Single Line: "Me Too, Kid"

The profound and lasting impact of this scene stems from its ability to distill complex, adult themes into a simple, relatable exchange. It's a moment of raw, unvarnished honesty that occurs when Bob Parr is at his lowest point, trapped in a life of mediocrity and bureaucratic red tape. The boy's question is not accusatory; it is a question of pure, childlike curiosity, which makes Bob’s answer all the more devastating.

1. The Mid-Life Crisis Personified

The entire first act of The Incredibles is an exploration of the mid-life crisis, and this scene is the apex. Bob Parr, once the world's greatest superhero, is now a desk jockey. The boy's question—"What are you waiting for?"—forces Bob to confront the gap between his past glory (Mr. Incredible) and his current reality (Bob Parr, insurance claims adjuster). His response, "Me too, kid," is an admission that he is no longer in control of his destiny; he is waiting for life to happen to him, just like an expectant child.

2. A Shared Universal Longing

The reason the line became a viral meme is its universality. It taps into the collective feeling of being stuck, whether in a dead-end job, a monotonous routine, or a post-graduation slump. The "amazing" thing the boy is waiting for can be interpreted as anything: a career change, true love, a great adventure, or simply the spark of excitement that fades with age. This shared human experience of longing for something more is what gives the meme its emotional durability and topical authority.

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3. The Contrast Between Hope and Despair

The scene is a powerful juxtaposition. The boy represents unbridled hope—the belief that something "amazing" is always just around the corner. Bob, on the other hand, represents weary despair, the adult realization that life often settles into a predictable, un-amazing routine. The brief connection between the two characters is poignant because the adult Bob is essentially mourning the loss of the child's perspective within himself. This contrast is the engine that drives the film's narrative, pushing Bob to secretly return to his superhero work.

The Meme Evolution: From Scene to Existential Shorthand

While the scene itself is from 2004, its meme status skyrocketed years later, primarily due to the rise of the "Traumatized Mr. Incredible" and "Mr. Incredible Becoming Uncanny" templates in the early 2020s. These memes capitalized on the various expressions of Bob Parr to represent escalating levels of knowledge or psychological distress. The "Me Too Kid" scene, however, stands on its own as a more earnest and less abstract meme format.

• Early Meme Usage: The image macro of Bob Parr and the boy started circulating on platforms like Reddit (particularly r/me_irl) and Tumblr around 2016 and 2017, usually captioned with relatable, low-stakes disappointments.
• The Existential Turn: As the meme gained traction, its meaning deepened. It was used to comment on large-scale societal issues, the feeling of political stagnation, the slow pace of technological progress, or even the anticlimax of major life events.
• LSI Entity: Craig T. Nelson’s Performance: The delivery of the line by voice actor Craig T. Nelson is critical. His deep sigh and world-weary tone convey decades of suppressed yearning, elevating the simple dialogue into a moment of genuine pathos.
• Relationship to Other Memes: It is closely related to the broader "Mr. Incredible" meme family, but the "Me Too Kid" version is unique in that it involves a direct dialogue and a shared sentiment, making it the perfect expression for collective disappointment or shared hope among a community of users.

How the Scene Set the Tone for Modern Superhero Narratives

The thematic richness of the "Me Too Kid" scene is also a key reason why The Incredibles is often cited as one of the most mature and influential superhero films of its era, paving the way for darker, more character-driven narratives.

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• Subverting the Hero Trope: Before this film, superheroes in animation were often portrayed as eternally powerful and happy. Bob Parr's mid-life crisis and the "Me Too Kid" exchange subverted this trope, showing a hero who is deeply unhappy and struggling with the mundane reality of normal life.
• The Brad Bird Influence: Director Brad Bird is known for his focus on characters who are "exceptional" and how society tries to normalize them. The scene is a perfect example of this theme—the exceptional man (Mr. Incredible) being forced into a dull, unexceptional life.
• The Power of Nostalgia: The entire film, and this scene specifically, taps into a powerful sense of nostalgia—not just for Bob Parr's past, but for the audience's own past hopes and dreams. It asks a powerful, unsettling question: Are you living the "amazing" life you once expected?

Ultimately, the "Mr. Incredible Me Too Kid" scene is a timeless piece of storytelling. It’s a testament to how a brief, unassuming moment of dialogue, when perfectly placed and delivered, can become a cultural phenomenon, offering a simple, two-word phrase that validates the shared human experience of waiting for something truly amazing.