The 'Joel Skype' meme features a low-resolution, high-contrast photograph of a young, blonde boy looking directly into a webcam, which is widely associated with the popular Twitch streamer Joel 'VargSkelethor' from the Vinesauce collective. The image first gained notoriety within the Vinesauce community as a 'cursed' artifact of early internet aesthetics, eventually spreading across platforms like Twitter and Discord. It is typically used to represent a 'gamer' persona, an awkward childhood memory, or a general sense of staring blankly during a digital interaction. Its pixelated quality and raw 2000s energy make it a staple for shitposting and nostalgic internet subculture humor.