The Matthew McConaughey smoking meme primarily features his character Rust Cohle from the HBO series True Detective. The image captures him in a moment of intense, nihilistic stress, taking a deep drag from a cigarette with a look of profound exhaustion. It first gained traction as a relatable reaction image for situations involving high anxiety, overwhelming work, or watching a disaster unfold. Beyond the show, McConaughey's 'alright, alright, alright' persona often blends with this image to represent someone who has seen too much and is just trying to get through the day with their sanity intact.