The 'WHAT IS THIS?' freakout originates from a legendary 2013 episode of Game Grumps featuring the notoriously broken game Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). During a boss fight, Arin Hanson (Egoraptor) encountered a glitch that caused Sonic to loop endlessly in a physics defying animation, leading Arin to spiral into a hilarious, high-pitched existential crisis. His screams of 'What is this?!' and 'What am I willing to put up with today?!' became instant internet classics. The meme is now a universal symbol for reaching one's breaking point when confronted with broken logic, glitchy technology, or the sheer absurdity of a failing situation.