The 'Don't Look at the Template' meme is a meta-humor staple that plays with the viewer's attention and the format of meme-making itself. It typically features a character or text overlaying an image, explicitly telling the audience to ignore the background or the template's original context. This subversion of expectation makes it a favorite for ironic memes and community-specific jokes where the 'template' being ignored is actually the main point of humor. It evolved from various 'Look At Me' and bait-and-switch formats, gaining traction on platforms like Reddit and Twitter for its self-referential nature and ability to mock overused internet trends.