The 'Don Lemon What Are We In Junior High School' meme originated from a 2021 broadcast of the CNN news program 'CNN Tonight'. In the scene, veteran journalist Don Lemon is seen reacting with visible disbelief and frustration to a political soundbite or colleague's argument. He famously retorts, 'What are we in junior high school?' while looking off-camera with a mix of exhaustion and condescension. This moment perfectly encapsulated the fatigue many viewers felt regarding the increasingly petty and divisive nature of public discourse. Since its airing, the clip has become a staple reaction meme across Twitter, TikTok, and Reddit. It is primarily used to shut down immature behavior, petty workplace drama, or internet trolls who are making nonsensical arguments. The meme represents a plea for maturity and a way to highlight how ridiculous a situation has become. Example captions include: 'When the family dinner turns into a shouting match over a board game,' 'Reacting to a 30-year-old on Twitter arguing about a children's movie,' or 'The HR manager reading the Slack thread about the office fridge.'