The Particle Man meme stems from the 1990 song by the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, gaining iconic status through its animated music video featured on the television show Tiny Toon Adventures. The song introduces a series of odd characters, including the microscopic Particle Man and the powerful Triangle Man, who inevitably defeats him. In internet culture, the template is used to represent one-sided conflicts or situations where a smaller entity is overwhelmed by a larger, often inexplicable force. It perfectly encapsulates existential absurdity and the specific brand of surrealist humor that dominated the early 90s animation era.