The Tucker Carlson and Vladimir Putin interview meme exploded in popularity following the February 2024 sit-down between the American journalist and the Russian President. The internet quickly fixated on Putin’s lengthy, unprompted lecture regarding 9th-century Eastern European history and Carlson's increasingly bewildered facial expressions. This dynamic created a versatile template used to depict any scenario where one person provides an overly complex or ancient backstory in response to a simple modern question. It is widely used to mock lore-heavy fandoms, mansplaining, or any situation involving an unwanted history lesson, with Carlson’s 'confused' face becoming a standalone reaction image.