The Patton Oswalt Apology Letter meme emerged in early 2022 after the comedian posted a multi-page handwritten note on Instagram addressing his friendship with Dave Chappelle following social media backlash. While intended as a heartfelt reflection on complex friendships and evolving viewpoints, the visual of a dense wall of handwritten text quickly became a template for internet irony. Users began replacing the original text or using the image to represent situations where someone is over-explaining a minor mistake or attempting to justify a ridiculous action. It has become a staple 'Wall of Text' trope, frequently used to mock performative celebrity apologies or to create humorous scenarios involving hyper-specific personal justifications.