Oppenheimer Smile / Oppenheimer If He Invented Something Fun

About

Oppenheimer Smile or Oppenheimer If He Invented Something Fun refers to a series of memes (including image macros) in which an edited still of actor Cillian Murphy playing J. Robert Oppenheimer in the 2023 movie Oppenheimer showing him smiling is paired with quotes using the phrasal template "Oppenheimer if he invented X," "X" being something that is considered fun or enjoyable as opposed to the atomic bomb. The meme became popularized on Twitter in late 2023 and gained viral spread on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Origin

On July 22nd, 2023, Twitter^[1] user @dabongohead posted an edited image of Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer smiling and looking forward, writing, "oppenheimer if he invented something nicer like a yo-yo or starbursts," garnering over 68,000 likes in three days (shown below).

Spread

New versions of the meme spread on Twitter over the following days. On July 23rd, 2023, Twitter^[2] user @Memeulous posted, "oppenheimer if he invented something fun like the xbox or rock climbing walls," garnering over 130,000 likes in two days (shown below, left). On July 24th, Twitter^[3] user @kirawontmiss posted the image, captioned, "oppenheimer if he invented something fun like a beyblade or a trampoline," garnering over 246,000 likes in a day (shown below, right).

That day, Instagram^[4] user Memezar reposted @kirawontmiss' meme, garnering over 494,000 likes in a day. Later that day, the fourtwenty Instagram^[5] page posted a marijuana themed version of the meme, garnering over 82,000 likes in a day (shown below).

Template

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References