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Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Kevin James smirking meme is going viral on X.
If you’ve been on X (Twitter) in the past few days, you’ve likely been confronted with a rather coy-looking Kevin James, posing with his hands in his pockets. The image, an old promotional shot for CBS sitcom The King of Queens (1998-2007), has spread across social media, providing more promotion for the comedy than it has seen in two decades.
The image of James’ character, Doug Hefferman, bizarrely has an almost Mona Lisa-like quality, with the actor’s expression conveying multiple emotions in the eyes of the viewer. At the same time, Doug seems bashful, yet with an air of confidence in himself. He’s smirking in a cheeky manner, but his hunched-over body language, with his hands hidden under his flannel, stuck into his jean pockets, gives off a sense of insecurity and a desperate need to be liked. The photo is the epitome of “who, me? shucks,” or “oopsie!”
James is best known for starring opposite Leah Remini in King of Queens, in which the pair played couple Doug and Carrie Heffernan from 1998 to 2007. Life is good for the Heffernans until Carrie’s father, played by a hilarious Jerry Stiller, moves in with them.
While the show has been off the air for over a decade, the meme has brought King of Queens back into the public consciousness, and some people are thrilled to see James having his moment in the spotlight.
Throughout his career, Kevin James has typically played the loveable oaf character – usually with a beautiful, glamorous female co-star. Doug Hefferman on The King of Queens is perhaps the most exemplary role of an unassuming average Joe, who loves nothing more than TV, junk food, and kicking back with a beer with his buddies, away from the nagging wife. This type of character trope is seen throughout the history of television, popularized by 1950s sitcom The Honeymooners, and parodied by cartoon characters like Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin.
“I know this meme going viral. But man I love to see Kevin James get his flowers this way. King of Queens still one of my favorites [sic] shows,” one X user wrote.
Though he hasn’t addressed the viral meme yet, James celebrated the show’s 25-year anniversary on social media just a few days ago.
“25 years ago today, we aired. I am so incredibly blessed to have taken this ride with the insanely talented @leahremini and Jerry Stiller,” he wrote. “I love you both so much… and thank you to the GREATEST FANS in the world LOVE YOU.”
In its own weird way, the meme dominated the cultural conversation on X alongside this weekend’s biggest headlines.
Whether people were talking about the WGA strike coming to an end or Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift seemingly confirming dating rumors, James was there. And some people are loving it.
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