The Kevin James Meme Explained: Why The King Of Queens Keeps Smirking At You

A great thing about viral memes is that they can sprout from pretty much anywhere, including a sitcom a lot of people probably haven't thought about in years. Anyone who frequents X, formerly known as Twitter, knows this all too well thanks to the "Kevin James Smirking" meme that's been making the rounds. The picture originated on January 1, 1998, as a promotional photo for "The King of Queens" that was published on Getty Images. Twenty-five years later, the random photo entered the zeitgeist thanks to X user @champagneanyone, who uploaded the caption, "me after 1 double rum and diet" next to the picture of James grinning slyly with his hands in his pockets. 

me after 1 double rum and diet pic.twitter.com/zfJFNCuCbT

— andy from 5 to 7 (@ChampagneAnyone) September 22, 2023

As of this writing, the post has been seen 2 million times and liked by 24,500 accounts. Plenty of people put their spins on it with captions about being playfully cheeky. Today even interviewed @champagneanyone to try to get the gist of the appeal of Kevin James in this pose.

 "I really can't describe exactly what the pose and facial expression is. It's what originally drew me to the photo," said @champagneanyone. "I couldn't stop wondering, 'What did the photographer say to KJ? What was the initial mood and feeling that the photographer was going for?' I don't know, but I'd love to inquire."

In the days that followed, numerous people used their own unique captions or Photoshopped the image ever so slightly. Arguably, the best usage came from U.S. Senator John Fetterman, who included the meme in a statement regarding a new Senate resolution requiring a dress code (in response to him dressing casually on the job). From there, it was impossible to stop.

"The King of Queens" has been off the air for over a decade, and the new meme is a good reminder of how funny the sitcom actually was. @champagneanyone is happy to spread the gospel of "King of Queens," telling Today, "I think Kevin James deserves his flowers. For some reason there is a narrative in our society that Kevin James isn't hilarious, and that bothers me. I grew up watching 'King of Queens.' It is truly one of the most underrated sitcoms to ever exist."

James' negative reputation can likely be attributed to many of his movies post-"King of Queens" being received poorly by critics. But the sitcom remains a bright spot in the actor's filmography. IGN was ahead of the curve on this one, as Mark Medina wrote in 2020, "In all, King of Queens is the perfect binge show for one reason: It never takes itself too seriously."

This newfound interest hasn't been lost on the show's stars. Leah Remini, who played James' sitcom wife on "The King of Queens," took to X to express her gratitude toward the renewed praise, "I wanted to let you all know I'm seeing all of The King of Queens memes and tweets and I absolutely love them. Thank you for 25 years of amazing memories!" And, of course, James himself wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste as he posted, "Gearing up for my new Stand Up Tour... So glad I found this headshot..." The meme is then accompanied by writing like a tour poster with messages like "The 'Double Hands in the Pocket'" and "Sheepishly coming to a city near you."

Hopefully, the Kevin James meme encourages people to give "The King of Queens" another shot and realize there are some truly hilarious moments within its nine-season run. For the uninitiated, check out this music video included in Season 5's "Flame Resistant," which perfectly exemplifies how Kevin James always commits to a bit.