The sequence of letters "t h o s e," often typed with intentional spaces between each character, serves as a digital siren for anyone familiar with the fast-moving landscape of internet culture. While a standard dictionary would define "those" simply as the plural form of "that," the spaced-out version carries a weight of mockery, sarcasm, and nostalgia. This specific stylistic choice is a direct reference to the "What are those?" meme, a cultural phenomenon that fundamentally changed how we interact with fashion, footwear, and social embarrassment online.

When a user comments "t h o s e" under a photo of someone’s footwear or a bizarre object, they are participating in a tradition of digital satire that dates back nearly a decade. Understanding this phrase requires a deep dive into the specific moment it was born, the linguistics of internet spacing, and its eventual infiltration into high-budget Hollywood cinema.

The Origin of a Cultural Catchphrase

The origins of this meme can be traced back to June 14, 2015. A Vine user named Brandon Moore, who went by the online handle Young Busco, uploaded a short video that would inadvertently become a permanent fixture of the internet's vocabulary. In the video, Moore is seen filming a police officer who is in the middle of an arrest at a Berkeley, California, event. Instead of focusing on the tension of the arrest, the camera pans down to the officer’s feet.

The officer was wearing standard-issue, clunky, black work boots—the kind of footwear designed for utility rather than aesthetics. As the camera zooms in on the unpolished and unfashionable boots, Moore shouts with an exaggerated, incredulous tone: "Officer, I got one question for you... What are thoooooooose?!"

The comedic timing, the sheer audacity of heckling an officer over his shoes during a serious procedure, and the distinctive vocal inflection caused the video to explode. Within weeks, it had millions of loops on Vine and was being reposted across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The phrase "What are those?" became the definitive way to call out anyone wearing shoes that were perceived as ugly, unbranded, or out of style.

The Linguistics of Spacing and Why People Type t h o s e

In digital communication, plain text often lacks the nuance of vocal tone. To compensate for this, internet users developed several stylistic conventions to convey emotion. The act of typing a word with spaces—t h o s e—is a technique known as "aesthetic spacing" or "emphasis spacing."

Mimicking Vocal Inflection

When Young Busco shouted the phrase, he didn't say it quickly. He drew out the word "those" into several syllables, emphasizing the vowel sounds to show mock horror. By typing "t h o s e," users force the reader's internal monologue to slow down. Each letter is given its own space, mimicking the rhythmic, drawn-out delivery of the original video. It creates a sense of "slow-motion" mockery, allowing the insult to linger.

Signaling Irony and Sarcasm

Typing in a standard format (e.g., "What are those?") might be interpreted as a genuine question. However, the spaced-out "t h o s e" acts as a meta-commentary. It signals that the writer is not actually asking a question but is instead referencing a specific cultural moment. It is a form of shorthand that says, "I am mocking this, and I am doing so using a well-known internet trope."

The Aesthetic Legacy

The spacing also ties into the "vaporwave" or "aesthetic" trends of the mid-2010s, where full-width characters and excessive spacing were used to create a sense of irony or surrealism. While that trend has faded, the "t h o s e" spacing survived because it perfectly matched the auditory profile of the meme it represents.

The Evolution from Mockery to Cringe Culture

Initially, the "What are those?" meme was a tool of the "sneakerhead" community. In a world where wearing the right pair of Jordans or Yeezys can determine your social standing in certain circles, the meme provided a weapon to use against anyone wearing "off-brand" or "generic" sneakers. It was a form of gatekeeping, albeit a humorous one.

However, as the meme grew, its application widened. It moved beyond shoes to encompass anything that looked out of place or "cringe." If someone posted a picture of a poorly cooked meal, a bizarrely decorated room, or a confusing piece of technology, the comment section would inevitably be filled with "t h o s e."

This evolution turned the meme into a general-purpose label for social faux pas. It became a way to point out that something—be it an object or an attitude—was not meeting the unspoken standards of the digital "in-crowd."

From the Streets to Wakanda: Pop Culture Impact

One of the most significant markers of a meme's success is when it transitions from the internet to mainstream media. The "What are those?" meme achieved this in a way few others have.

In the 2018 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther, the character Shuri (played by Letitia Wright) looks at her brother T’Challa’s traditional Wakandan sandals and screams, "What are those?!" before presenting him with high-tech "sneakers."

While this moment was intended to show Shuri's youthful and tech-savvy personality, it also signaled a turning point for the meme. For many internet purists, the inclusion of a three-year-old meme in a major blockbuster was the "death" of the meme. When a cultural trope moves from the rebellious streets of Vine to a Disney-owned multi-billion dollar franchise, it often loses its edge. This phenomenon is frequently discussed in digital circles as the "normification" of a meme.

Despite this, the usage of "t h o s e" persisted. Even after being labeled "dead" or "normie," the phrase had become so ingrained in English slang that it transformed from a trending meme into a permanent linguistic tool.

The Psychology of Social Mockery Online

Why did "t h o s e" resonate so deeply with millions of people? The answer lies in the human desire for social cohesion through shared exclusion. By pointing out something that is "not right" or "unfashionable," a group reinforces its own standards and bond.

In the context of the 2015 video, there was an added layer of subverting authority. Mocking a police officer’s shoes is a way of humanizing (or demeaning) a figure of power, reducing a representative of the law to someone with "bad taste." This rebellious undertone gave the meme an energy that simple fashion criticism lacks.

Furthermore, the meme tapped into the "unboxed" and "reveal" culture of the mid-2010s. It was an era where people were increasingly obsessed with "flexing" their possessions. "t h o s e" became the ultimate "anti-flex," a way to deflate someone's ego or highlight their lack of awareness regarding current trends.

The Technical Side: "Those" as a Demonstrative Pronoun

While the meme dominates the search query "t h o s e," it is worth noting the grammatical foundation that makes the joke work. In the English language, "those" is a demonstrative pronoun and a determiner. It is used to identify specific people or things that are at a distance from the speaker.

In a grammatical sense, "those" is the plural of "that."

  • Singular/Near: This (This shoe on my foot).
  • Plural/Near: These (These shoes on my feet).
  • Singular/Far: That (That shoe over there).
  • Plural/Far: Those (Those shoes across the room).

The meme "What are those?" relies on this distancing. The speaker is pointing away from themselves toward someone else's feet, creating a physical and social gap between the "correct" footwear of the observer and the "incorrect" footwear of the subject. Without this inherent grammatical function of pointing and identifying from a distance, the punchline would lose its focus.

Why the Meme Refuses to Die

In the cycle of internet culture, most memes have a shelf life of about two weeks to two months. "What are those?" has defied these odds, remaining relevant for nearly a decade. There are several reasons for this longevity:

  1. Versatility: As long as people continue to wear unusual shoes, the meme will have a reason to exist. It is a situational joke that is triggered by a recurring real-world event.
  2. The Rise of Irony: Modern internet culture is heavily built on layers of irony. People who use "t h o s e" today often do so knowing the meme is "old," which adds a layer of "post-ironic" humor to the interaction.
  3. Visual Simplicity: The meme is easy to replicate. It doesn't require complex editing; it only requires a camera and a finger to point.
  4. Linguistic Integration: "What are those?" has followed the path of words like "cool" or "salty," moving from niche slang to a phrase that people use without even realizing its specific origin.

How to Correctly Use t h o s e in Modern Contexts

If you see someone using "t h o s e" today, it is rarely a genuine question. It is almost always an invitation to laugh at the absurdity of an object. Here is how it is typically deployed in the current social media landscape:

  • The Sarcastic Comment: Under a post of a celebrity wearing "high-fashion" shoes that look like trash bags, a user might simply comment "t h o s e."
  • The Self-Deprecating Post: A user might post a photo of themselves in old, beat-up gardening shoes with the caption "Not the t h o s e..." to beat others to the joke.
  • The Nostalgic Reference: In a video looking back at the "Vine Era," the phrase is used as a hallmark of 2015 digital culture.

Summary of the t h o s e Phenomenon

The transformation of a simple demonstrative pronoun into a weapon of social satire is a testament to the power of viral video culture. What started as a six-second clip in a Berkeley parking lot evolved into a global shorthand for "cringe." The spacing—t h o s e—is the digital fingerprint of this evolution, capturing the specific sound and intent of an era that valued spontaneous, irreverent humor above all else. Whether it is being used to mock a pair of "dad shoes" or to ironically reference the mid-2010s, "t h o s e" remains a vital part of the internet's ever-expanding dictionary.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About t h o s e

What does it mean when someone types t h o s e with spaces?

It is a reference to the "What are those?" meme from 2015. The spaces are used to mimic the drawn-out, dramatic way the word was shouted in the original viral video, usually to mock someone's shoes or something that looks out of place.

Who started the "What are those?" meme?

The meme was started by Brandon Moore, also known as Young Busco. He filmed himself heckling a police officer about his footwear in a video uploaded to Vine in June 2015.

Is the "What are those?" meme still relevant?

While it is considered an "old" meme by internet standards, it is still frequently used ironically or as a permanent part of slang. It reached its peak mainstream awareness when it was included in the movie Black Panther.

Can "t h o s e" be used for things other than shoes?

Yes. While it began with footwear, it has evolved into a general way to mock anything that is perceived as ugly, strange, or "cringe."

Why do people say "What are thoooooooose" instead of just "What are those"?

The elongation of the word "those" comes directly from the original video's audio. It adds an incredulous and comedic tone to the mockery, making the "question" sound more like a theatrical performance.