The Apple AirPods meme culture emerged shortly after the product's announcement in late 2016, initially focusing on their unusual stem-like appearance and the controversial removal of the traditional headphone jack. It quickly evolved into a symbol of perceived wealth and 'flexing,' leading to the viral 'He can't hear us, he has AirPods in' format. This template typically depicts a character in a dangerous or urgent situation who is completely oblivious to external warnings because of their high-end noise-canceling earbuds. Today, these memes are a staple of internet culture, used to satirize modern consumerism, tech elitism, and the funny reality of constantly losing tiny, expensive pieces of plastic.