The Turning Red 9/11 debate stems from a viral 2022 YouTube review by critic MrEnter, who argued that Pixar's film failed to accurately represent the 'cultural shift' of its early 2002 setting by ignoring the September 11 attacks. The internet immediately found the criticism preposterous, as the film is a lighthearted coming-of-age story about a girl who turns into a red panda in Toronto. The debate quickly became a legendary meme, used to highlight unnecessarily serious or 'edgy' critiques of children's media. Users often apply the same logic to other animated films or use the template to mock the idea that every piece of media must address major historical tragedies regardless of tone or subject matter.