The Rube Goldberg Machine meme is inspired by the intricate, over-engineered contraptions designed by American cartoonist Rube Goldberg to perform simple tasks in the most circuitous way possible. In internet culture, these templates are used metaphorically to describe a series of events where a minor catalyst triggers a disproportionately complex or disastrous sequence of consequences. Whether it's illustrating the butterfly effect of a bad decision or the absurdity of bureaucratic systems, the meme serves as a perfect visual metaphor for the chaos of modern life. It gained traction as a way to mock people or systems that solve simple problems with unnecessarily difficult methods.