The "What Kind of American Are You?" meme originates from a line said by Jesse Plemons' character in the 2024 movie Civil War. In a tense scene, his character asks this question to establish political allegiance during a civil conflict. Online, a still image of Plemons scratching his cheek became viral as a caption format and reaction image, often using the phrase "What kind of X are you?" to make humorous or pointed variations. The meme gained popularity on social media, especially on platforms like Twitter (now X), shortly after the movie's release in April 2024. It typically features the image with customized captions that replace "American" with various groups or fandoms, playing with the original phrase format for comedic effect or social commentary.
In summary, the meme is a cultural reference to a movie scene used as a template to question identity or allegiance humorously or provocatively in many contexts online.
