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Matt LeBlanc Becomes A Meme After His Photo From The Friends Reunion Goes Viral (30 Pics)
Millions of viewers across the world tuned in to the Friends reunion last week. The HBO Max special aired 17 years after its final episode, bringing the sitcom aficionados back to the screens.
For everyone’s amusement, the six beloved stars got back together one more time, but it was Joey Tribbiani, played by 53-year-old Matt LeBlanc, that stole the spotlight. His grey hair, casual striped shirt, laid-back pose, and “how you gettin’ on?” sort of facial expression have won the hearts of the internet as people dubbed him “an Irish uncle with a heart of gold.”
The comparison instantly hit Twitter users, where Matt became a meme embodying all the awesome uncles, great uncles, ubiquitous uncles, probably Irish but not exclusively, that every family deserves to have one of in their circle.
Image credits: spochadoir
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Bored Panda reached out to Spochadóir, a Twitter user from Longford, Ireland who was among the first to tweet a humorous post about the internet’s beloved uncle Matt. “Never has a childhood of growing up in rural Ireland better prepared me for something more than it’s prepared me for this Matt LeBlanc being your uncle meme,” he tweeted, amassing 6.4k likes.
Spochadóir told us that he actually didn’t see the special, but saw a few photos online. “It’s lovely to see them back together, though, I think they were a big part of a lot of people’s childhood or adolescence growing up and it’s nice to see they still get on with each other.”
“I would’ve seen Matt a bit more than the rest in other shows he’s done recently, but he looked great and the fella’s an absolute gent,” he added.
When asked about the uncle Matt meme, the Twitter user explained that “Essentially, it was really just the way that Matt was dressed and how he carried himself, particularly when he was sitting with the rest of the cast, it was just that particular look he had about him.”
Spochadóir added that Matt’s look in the reunion is quite hard to describe, as he didn’t think much about it “other than ‘Jaysus, he looks like just about every auld lad I know.’”
The Twitter user believes that what made Matt’s reunion photo go viral was definitely its relatability. “Irish people latched on to it, but I think having an uncle, da or father figure who likes to pick on their nieces and nephews in a well-mannered way a bit is very universal, it’s just how a lot of them show their love I suppose,” Spochadóir said and added that “It’s definitely just something a lot of people can relate to regardless of their cultural background.”
Yes. Met a man like this. In Roscrea, Ireland. In a local bar, was there on my way to the airport to go home. Great conversation, still think about it sometimes. Like now
Can anybody please explain to me what pansexual is? I've heard it many times, but I have next to no clue what it means.
I'm Italian. He looks like the uncle who gives a beautiful, moving speech about how LGBTQ people deserve the support and acceptance of all of society while using every offensive word to describe LGBTQ people.
Does the Irish feeling on these memes come from the fact that Matt Le Blanc has bought a house in Ireland? I Live in rural North Sligo in the North West of Ireland and Matt has just bought a house just a 15 minute walk from my house. It's in a beautiful place just under Benbulben mountain. His girlfriend's father lives in Grange, the village down the road from us. The great thing is that those memes with him in an Irish pub would ring true in the sense that if he went into one of the ones here he would be treated like any other patron. People here treat you with friendliness and kindness but as an equal. Still, I can just see Matt sitting at the bar making conversation with a local sheep farmer and his Border Collie.
I love Matt LeBlanc - his post-"Friends" show, "Episodes," was completely epic. That being said, I think his crossed-arms posture indicated that he was self-conscious about the gut he seems to have acquired. I felt bad for him - he's still amazing, gut or not!
I'm Italian. He looks like the uncle who gives a beautiful, moving speech about how LGBTQ people deserve the support and acceptance of all of society while using every offensive word to describe LGBTQ people.
Does the Irish feeling on these memes come from the fact that Matt Le Blanc has bought a house in Ireland? I Live in rural North Sligo in the North West of Ireland and Matt has just bought a house just a 15 minute walk from my house. It's in a beautiful place just under Benbulben mountain. His girlfriend's father lives in Grange, the village down the road from us. The great thing is that those memes with him in an Irish pub would ring true in the sense that if he went into one of the ones here he would be treated like any other patron. People here treat you with friendliness and kindness but as an equal. Still, I can just see Matt sitting at the bar making conversation with a local sheep farmer and his Border Collie.
I love Matt LeBlanc - his post-"Friends" show, "Episodes," was completely epic. That being said, I think his crossed-arms posture indicated that he was self-conscious about the gut he seems to have acquired. I felt bad for him - he's still amazing, gut or not!