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Leaving Store Pretending Not To Steal Relatable Meme

The meme consists of two parts: top text that reads 'Me leaving the store pretending I didn't steal anything, even though I didn't:' and a lower screenshot of the character Patrick Bateman from the film American Psycho. Bateman is wearing a suit, tie, and headset, staring straight ahead with an extremely stiff, deadpan, intentionally neutral expression that comes off as suspicious, as if he is hiding a crime even though he has done nothing wrong. The joke is relatable to many people who feel unnecessarily guilty and act awkwardly when leaving a retail store without buying anything, even if they have stolen nothing, making themselves look more suspicious by overcorrecting their behavior.
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Me leaving the store pretending I didn't steal anything, even though I didn't:

Overview

The meme consists of two parts: top text that reads 'Me leaving the store pretending I didn't steal anything, even though I didn't:' and a lower screenshot of the character Patrick Bateman from the film American Psycho. Bateman is wearing a suit, tie, and headset, staring straight ahead with an extremely stiff, deadpan, intentionally neutral expression that comes off as suspicious, as if he is hiding a crime even though he has done nothing wrong. The joke is relatable to many people who feel unnecessarily guilty and act awkwardly when leaving a retail store without buying anything, even if they have stolen nothing, making themselves look more suspicious by overcorrecting their behavior.

Origin notes

This meme is reposted from the X.com (formerly Twitter) account meme.jpg, shared via RSS feed. It uses a well-known screenshot of Christian Bale portraying Patrick Bateman from the 2000 live-action film American Psycho, a source that is frequently used in meme culture to represent awkward, overly serious, or secretly guilty behavior. The text added over the image is a common relatable slice-of-life joke format that has been circulated widely across social media platforms.

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