A meme template based on a scene between Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones has become a viral sensation as internet posters have used Padme's wary disbelief over Anakin's views about dictatorships as a stand-in for people feeling wary disbelief for other things in life and pop culture.The meme has spread rapidly throughout the internet this month, with hundreds of variations showing up all over social media as the momentum of the meme has increased in the past week.
The meme is based on a sequence in Attack of the Clones where Anakin and Padme have a picnic and try to get to know each other a little better. Padme makes a comment about politicians and Anakin notes that he dislikes almost all politicians, with Padme being one of the few that he trusts (he jokes that even with her, he's still making up her mind). After he adds that he doesn't think that the system works, Padme asks him what kind of government he thinks would work best and Anakin says that some wise people should decide what's best and just do that. When Padme points out that that sounds like a dictatorship, Anakin replies, "Well, if it works." Padme assumes he's joking, but he has a straight face, so she goes from smiling to being pensive, thinking, "Wait...huh?" until he finally laughs and then she laughs, glad that he is joking.
Of course, in reality, Anakin was just throwing red flags like crazy to Padme and she just chose to ignore them, as it turns out that Anakin very much is into dictatorships, so her initial concern was justified in the end.
This has now led to a series of memes based on Anakin's statement and Padme's reaction when she starts to believe that Anakin is actually serious. So the format is that someone will say something, then the other person will give a follow-up clarifying question and when the other person avoids answering it, the person seeking clarification begins to freak out. These memes really started popping up in early June but have gained a good deal of momentum over the course of the month...
It's an easily adaptable template and Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman's faces are quite expressive, so it is easy to see why it has grown to be such a popular meme.
Source: Twitter