This meme features Andy Dwyer, played by Chris Pratt, from a season four episode of the sitcom Parks and Recreation. In the scene, Andy admits to his colleagues that he doesn't know who Al Gore is, despite having worked in government for some time, concluding with the hilarious admission that he is too afraid to ask. The template became a staple of internet culture for expressing genuine confusion about trending topics, complex subjects, or inside jokes that everyone else seems to understand. It is widely used when someone realizes they have missed a crucial piece of information for so long that seeking clarification would now be socially awkward.