The 'Airline Passenger Punching Reclined Seat' meme originated from a viral video captured in February 2020, depicting a heated confrontation between a male passenger and a woman who had reclined her seat on an American Airlines flight. The footage shows the man, who was in the last row and unable to recline himself, repeatedly punching the back of her seat in frustration. The incident sparked a massive internet debate regarding 'recline etiquette' and the shrinking personal space in economy class. In meme culture, the template is used to represent relentless annoyance, the feeling of being 'pushed to the edge,' or the clash between two equally stubborn parties in a confined situation.