The 'All I Wanted Was a Pepsi' meme originates from the 1983 hardcore punk anthem 'Institutionalized' by the band Suicidal Tendencies. In the song's spoken-word bridge, vocalist Mike Muir describes a breakdown in communication with his parents, who misinterpret his behavior as drug-fueled mania when he is simply lost in thought. His frantic cry that he just wanted a Pepsi has become a timeless symbol of teenage alienation and the frustration of being misunderstood by authority figures. Today, the meme is used to highlight situations where a person's simple request is met with an absurdly disproportionate reaction or to express a state of being overwhelmed by minor inconveniences.