You know that face. It’s the universal "are you for real?" expression that lives in every group chat, Slack channel, and Twitter thread. It’s the side eyeing Chloe meme. Most viral moments die within a week, buried under the next TikTok trend or a fresh batch of celebrity drama. But Chloe Clem? She’s been judging the world from the back of a minivan for over a decade. It’s rare. Honestly, it’s basically an internet miracle.
Back in 2013, the world was a different place. Vine was still a thing. We weren't all perpetually doomscrolling. And a mother named Katie Clem decided to film her two daughters, Lily and Chloe, as she surprised them with a trip to Disneyland. Lily burst into tears of joy. Chloe, on the other hand, sat in her car seat with a look of pure, unadulterated skepticism. One toothy, sideways glance changed the trajectory of her life and the way we communicate online.
The day the side eyeing Chloe meme was born
Let’s talk about the video. Most people have only seen the screengrab, but the context is what makes it gold. Katie Clem uploaded "Lily's Disneyland Surprise... AGAIN" to YouTube on September 12, 2013. The intention was to capture a sweet family memory. Lily is sobbing, overwhelmed by the magic of Mickey Mouse. Then the camera pans to Chloe.
She isn't crying. She isn't cheering. She looks like she’s just been told that taxes are going up or that the restaurant is out of spicy nuggets. That expression—the furrowed brow, the side-eye, the slightly buck-toothed grimace—became a shorthand for "I don't believe you" or "What is actually happening right now?"
It didn't take long. Within days, the image was everywhere. It hit BuzzFeed. It hit Tumblr (remember Tumblr?). It became the de facto response to any news story that sounded a bit too ridiculous to be true. It was the perfect reaction.
Why this specific face stuck around
Internet culture moves fast. Usually, a meme has a shelf life of about forty-eight hours before it feels like something your uncle would post on Facebook. Yet, the side eyeing Chloe meme feels evergreen. Why?
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Psychologically, humans are wired to detect subtle facial cues. Chloe’s face isn't just "angry" or "sad." It’s a complex cocktail of judgment and confusion. It’s relatable. We’ve all been in a situation where everyone around us is losing their minds over something, and we’re just sitting there wondering if we’re the only sane person in the room.
The image also scales perfectly. Whether it’s a tiny thumbnail on a phone screen or a massive billboard, you get the message instantly. It doesn't need a caption to work, though it’s been paired with thousands of them. In the industry, we call this "high-utility visual communication." In real life, we just call it a vibe.
The NFT craze and the $74,000 price tag
Fast forward to 2021. The world went through a bizarre phase where everyone was obsessed with NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). While a lot of people were buying digital monkeys, the Clem family saw an opportunity to take control of their own viral legacy.
They decided to auction the original side eye Chloe image as an NFT. It sold for 25 Ethereum, which at the time was roughly $74,000. The buyer? A music production company based in Dubai called 3F Music.
There was some backlash. People asked, "Why would you pay that for a JPEG you can right-click and save?" But for the Clems, it was a way to fund Chloe’s college education. It turned a fleeting moment of internet fame into a tangible future. It’s a fascinating case study in how "meme parents" navigate the strange waters of digital ownership.
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Life after the car seat
What happens when you grow up as a global icon of skepticism? Chloe is a teenager now. She’s not that little girl in the car seat anymore, but she still embraces the legacy. If you follow her on Instagram, you’ll see she still has the same spark, though she’s obviously moved on to things like school, friends, and being a normal kid.
She’s traveled the world because of that one look. She went to Brazil for a Google campaign. She’s been on talk shows. But the family has been surprisingly grounded about it. Katie Clem has often spoken about the importance of keeping life normal despite the fact that her daughter’s face is literally on the wall of the Google offices in Brazil.
Misconceptions about the meme
A lot of people think Chloe was actually upset or annoyed with her sister. If you watch the full video, she’s mostly just... confused. She’s a toddler. Toddlers have no filter. They don't perform for the camera. That’s the beauty of it. It wasn't a staged "influencer" moment. It was a raw, accidental capture of a human emotion we usually try to hide.
Another misconception is that the family got rich overnight. While the NFT sale was a huge win, the majority of the meme's usage doesn't pay a cent. Every time someone uses a GIF of Chloe on WhatsApp, the family doesn't get a royalty. That’s just not how the internet works. They’ve had to be smart about partnerships and licensing to make the fame actually "work" for them.
The technical side of its viral longevity
From an SEO and digital trends perspective, the side eyeing Chloe meme benefits from what we call "semantic permanence." It is so deeply ingrained in the digital lexicon that it’s frequently used as a benchmark for other memes.
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- It’s searchable. People look for "the girl looking sideways meme" or "skeptical girl in car" millions of times a year.
- It’s cross-platform. It works on Reddit, TikTok, Instagram, and even in corporate emails where people are trying to be "relatable."
- It has high "remixability." People have Photoshopped Chloe into historical events, movie posters, and onto the faces of politicians.
What we can learn from Chloe
The story of this meme isn't just about a funny face. It’s about the democratization of fame. Twenty years ago, if you wanted to be famous, you needed a talent agent or a reality TV show. Today, you just need a car seat and a healthy sense of skepticism.
But it’s also a cautionary tale. Once an image is out there, it’s gone. You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. The Clem family handled it with grace, but not every viral star is so lucky. Some people are destroyed by the sudden influx of attention. Chloe, thankfully, seems to have come out the other side as a well-adjusted person who just happens to have the most famous side-eye in history.
How to use the meme today without being cringe
If you're going to use Chloe in your content or communication, timing is everything.
Don't use it for something genuinely tragic. That’s just bad taste.
Use it for those "low-stakes" annoyances. Like when your coworker sends a "per my last email" message.
Don't over-explain it. The meme speaks for itself.
The side eyeing Chloe meme is more than just a picture. It’s a piece of digital history. It represents the era of the "authentic" internet, before everything was polished and sponsored. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the best response to the absurdity of life is just a look.
To really understand the impact of viral culture, you should look into how other "classic" memes have transitioned into the NFT space, such as "Disaster Girl" or "Overly Attached Girlfriend." Compare their trajectories to Chloe’s. You’ll find that the memes that stay relevant are the ones that represent a universal human emotion rather than a specific cultural moment. Check the original YouTube video again—it’s a masterclass in accidental comedic timing. Finally, if you're a creator, focus on capturing genuine reactions rather than forced ones; the internet has a "side-eye" of its own for anything that feels fake.