The 'Peter Parker Reading a Book' meme originates from the 2002 film Spider-Man, starring Tobey Maguire. The scene depicts Peter in his bedroom, attempting to understand his new superhuman abilities while looking visibly perplexed. In the meme community, the template is used to represent the struggle of understanding complex topics, the shock of finding unexpected information, or the irony of reading something completely absurd. It often pairs Peter's intense focus with a ridiculous or nonsensical book title, making it a staple for relatable academic struggles and 'what am I looking at' moments.