The Big Lebowski has been one of the most iconic entries in Joel and Ethan Coen's dark, comedic, and thrilling filmography. Revolving around bowling and a kidnapping conspiracy, the stoner comedy has rightfully achieved a cult status over the years.
Part of this success has to do with its extremely quotable dialogue exchanges and deadpan characters played by usual collaborators like the gullible Donny (Steve Buscemi), hot-headed Walter (John Goodman), and of course, the ever-cool Jeffrey 'The Dude' Lebowski (Jeff Bridges). All three are bowling enthusiasts, but, while Walter is a rule-abiding player who can easily be ticked off if anyone breaks the rules, The Dude is so obsessed that his drug-fueled fantasies also take place in a surreal bowling alley.
Full Metal Jacket Parody
This parody poster of The Big Lebowski featuring Walter references Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket as well as Walter's famous lines when he loses his cool in the bowling alley. In The Big Lebowski, when a bowler named Smokey "crosses the line"—literally—Walter asks him to abide by the rules and accept his foul. When Smokey shrugs Walter off, he ends up holding him at gunpoint bellowing at him.
Having served in Vietnam, Walter mentions that the war might not have had rules, but bowling does. It makes sense for him to be reimagined, as a Full Metal Jacket character as the anti-war film also deals with the complexities and futility of the war in Vietnam.
The Passion Of The Jesus
Yet another parody poster, this one features the cocky bowling champ Jesus Quintana (John Turturro). He's a member of the team going up against The Dude, and he has bizarre bowling rituals like licking the ball before every round. He often refers to himself as 'The Jesus,' making his narcissism all the more evident.
It's a funny reference to see him equated to the actual Jesus Christ in this poster that is designed in the same style as Mel Gibson's highly controversial religious epic The Passion of the Christ that chronicles the last 12 hours in the life of Christ.
"Am I The Only One?"
The aforementioned scene featuring an angered Walter is often referenced in memes. The line that's mostly used in such memes is "am I the only one around here who gives a s*** about the rules?"
However, more often than not, these memes end up using the wrong timeframe. Instead of Walter loading his gun, the scene takes place with Walter pointing his gun and yelling at the top of his lungs. The cinephile's frustration at the wrong scene being used in meme culture is highlighted in this 'meta-meme'.
Bowling Expert
Butthurt Dweller A.K.A. Gordo Granudo was a common template in memes of the early 2010s. The adult male with glasses and a ponytail, originaly a photograph of a Finnish resident, usually used in memes to depict a condescending/advising tone.
Anyone can agree with Butthurt Dweller in this case. The Big Lebowski might be widely known as a 'stoner film,' but it is a major bowling film, too, sparking interest in the game. In fact, the bowling industry website Dudes! GoBowling.com named The Big Lebowski as the #1 bowling Film of all time.
Distracted Donny
One of the funniest scenes featuring Donny is when he confuses Vladimir Lenin as John Lennon. As Walter is quoting the Russian communist leader in a bowling alley conversation with The Dude, Donny keeps on repeating "I am the walrus," quoting the popular Beatles song.
The common meme template of a distracted man looking at another woman rather than his partner is used in this context to show Donny looking at the Beatle rather than "V.I. Lenin. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov!"
'I Don't Always Bowl'
Using 'The Most Interesting Man' meme template, Walter is shown getting candid on his rule-abiding bowling skills. Even though his character clearly has anger issues all through the film, John Goodman had a lot of fun playing Walter Sobchak, claiming it to be a role that he's really proud of.
Be it his beard, his yellow-tinted shades, or, of course, his iconic lines of dialogue, there's a lot to remember about Walter, easily making him one of the most recognizable characters in modern cinema.
Opinion On The Big Lebowski Memes
Even though The Big Lebowski has provided continuous meme fodder, the memes on the film can be tiring or overdone for some. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own 'opinions'.
"Yeah, well, that's just like...your opinion" is one of the most oft-quoted lines from the Coens' screenwriting career, and it's not hard to understand why that is. A simple line like this can be practically be used to end any argument or debate, especially to shoo away tiresome individuals like Jesus Quintana.
The Movie Behind The Meme
While The Big Lebowski is definitely one of the most recognizable comedies of the 90s, some youngsters might have been introduced to the film only through memes. The "am I the only one around here..." line is mostly used in memes to show extreme annoyance when feeling left out or doing something that others might not. So, while, the other bowlers might not take their league games that seriously, Walter is serious enough to point his gun at the other player.