The 'Mad World' meme finds its roots in the haunting cover of the Tears for Fears song by Gary Jules, famously featured in the 2001 cult classic film Donnie Darko and later a commercial for Gears of War. The meme typically captures a character—often Donnie Darko himself or various cartoon characters like SpongeBob—staring blankly into the distance or through a rain-slicked window. It is used to convey a sense of profound sadness, existential crisis, or the feeling of being an outsider in a chaotic world. Since its rise in the mid-2010s, it has become a staple for internet users expressing disillusionment with modern life or reacting to minor inconveniences with dramatic, melancholic flair.