The 'Red Bird Laughing Then Staring' meme features the protagonist of the Angry Birds franchise, Red, undergoing a drastic mood shift. The template typically uses a clip or series of stills from an Angry Birds movie or promotional short where Red is seen laughing boisterously, only to suddenly stop and stare intensely into the camera with a deadpan expression. This meme is primarily used to represent the moment a person realizes the gravity of a situation after initially finding it funny, or when a joke suddenly hits too close to home. It gained massive popularity on platforms like TikTok and Twitter for its perfect comedic timing and relatable portrayal of social awkwardness or sudden realizations.