The "Why is he lying?" meme originated from a YouTube thumbnail of an unlisted video by the New Rockstars channel, featuring the Marvel character Wong alongside the text "Why is he lying?" This image became popular around 2022 and is widely used as a reaction image to call out someone lying, especially in social media comments. It gained traction as a meme through platforms like Twitter/X and TikTok, where people use it humorously to accuse others of dishonesty. A related variation called "Why is he telling the truth?" also emerged more recently. The meme's style is similar to other reaction images from New Rockstars thumbnails and is part of a genre of humorous, call-out memes.
There is also a separate viral "Why you always lying?" meme from 2015 involving Nicholas Fraser singing a humorous song about lying to the tune of the R&B song "Too Close," which has become a classic internet meme often confused with the "Why is he lying?" meme.
