The 'Mario, the Idea vs. Mario, the Man' meme stems from a viral image of a high school essay titled 'The Philosophy of Mario,' which surfaced in early 2022. The essay became an instant classic due to its aggressive opening line, 'Everyone knows Mario is cool as f**k,' and the author's frequent, incorrect use of the word 'perchance' to sound more academic. The meme thrives on the contrast between high-level philosophical jargon and the simple reality of a video game character. It is commonly used to over-analyze trivial pop culture subjects or to mock the 'pseudo-intellectual' style of writing often found in student papers and online essays.