The most recent Robert Downey Jr. performance in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has given rise to the somewhat perplexing hashtag #fatRDJ, know about the Fat RDJ meme and his look in the movie
Robert Downey Jr. in Christopher Nolan’s next movie Oppenheimer, which stars a slew of other famous actors, has been getting a lot of attention on Twitter.
Fat RDJ Robert Downey Jr Oppenheimer Weight Gain Look Viral Twitter Meme Explained
Please spread the word #fatRDJ he’s only growing more pic.twitter.com/lqhP6USous
— Onion “Irish American Irishman” Crank (@KevMagnet) July 11, 2022
This may or may not be related to the former Iron Man actor’s part in the film. Instead, after some phoney photographs from the movie’s filming were shared, a meme emerged. That meme’s hashtag is #fatRDJ.
Please bear with us as we attempt to explain what this meme is about because, as with many Twitter memes, the distinction between fact and fiction can get hazy.
The #fatRDJ meme: what is it?
Although the exact source of a meme might be difficult to determine, it appears that this one was started by a fake Discussing Film Twitter account. This account, which imitated the well-known film publication, shared what appear to be photoshopped pictures of Downey on the Oppenheimer set, indicating that he had put on a lot of weight for the part.
More images of Robert Downey Jr’s drastic transformation for Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ have been officially released, via the actor’s publicist
(Source: https://t.co/LSXxbOKz4w) pic.twitter.com/ieFkZbwkNz
— DiscussingFilm (@MichaelMannLove) July 12, 2022
The URL in the tweet leads to a pretty strange YouTube video, so it is clear that the tweet is a prank.
Furthermore, rather than gaining weight for the Oppenheimer part, Downey actually seems to have dropped weight for it, though perhaps not as much as he did for Avengers: Endgame in 2018–19. An image posted by the Oppenheimer news Twitter account shows his change.
Robert Downey Jr. and Cillian Murphy on the set of Nolan's OPPENHEIMER pic.twitter.com/AiHP9HB6zm
— Nolan's OPPENHEIMER News & Countdown (@FilmOppenheimer) April 13, 2022
On Twitter, #fatRDJ has become popular.
Strangely, the funny message from the parody account now appears to have sparked a meme, with Twitter users continuing the trend under the hashtag #fatRDJ.
This includes publishing images of Downey that either depict him as heavier than he often is, feature plus-sized men who resemble Downey, or dubiously upload Downey images through FaceApp.
For better or worse, #fatRDJ is currently trending on Twitter and is only becoming more popular.
you’re laughing. #fatRDJ is growing by the minute and you’re laughing. pic.twitter.com/LlAO3zZl8i
— Clit "boner" Meetswood (@vizwatcher) July 11, 2022
Some Tweets even make reference to other movies, including the MCU, which famously featured Downey.
$250 million #fatRDJ
movie pic.twitter.com/GXSHlTPAUA— Miami Vice Apologist (@ViceApologist) July 11, 2022
Don’t worry if you’ve been puzzled the entire time #fatRDJ has been trending on Twitter. Many others have experienced extremely similar feelings:
I want to thank both having covid and the #fatRDJ meme for simulating what it’s been like to have a stroke and feel like you’re constantly hallucinating for the past few days https://t.co/Zb3Xk9Qxvr
— Noah Thompson (@RugPointy) July 12, 2022
‘Does #fatRDJ promote fat shame?
Now, some Twitter users are criticising the #fatRDJ meme for appearing to have sprung from the notion that being overweight is a comedy in and of itself.
Despite the fact that plus-sized persons have frequently been considered objects of scorn by society, this is undoubtedly something worth analysing, although this joke may be more a dig at actors who undergo gruesome physical changes for a role in a movie.
This was demonstrated by a number of tweets that made fun of this specific type of method of acting, which other performers have referred to as risky and stupid.
Regardless of how you interpret the meme, it’s undeniably one of the most perplexing trending topics on Twitter in recent weeks. We would say in recent years, but by Twitter’s standards, we realise that’s just as untrue as those original parody images.