{"slug":"monkey-puppet","name":"Monkey Puppet","url":"/templates/monkey-puppet.jpg","w":923,"h":768,"top":"WHEN SOMEONE SAYS","bottom":"","alternateFormats":[{"slug":"monkey-puppet-gif","label":"GIF Version"}],"description":"Make your own Monkey Puppet meme. The universal \"pretend I didn't see that\" reaction for every awkward moment.","keywords":"monkey puppet meme, awkward look meme, monkey looking away, side eye monkey","year":2016,"origin":"From the Japanese children's show \"Ōkiku Naru Ko.\" The puppet monkey's sideways glance became the universal reaction for that moment when you hear or see something awkward and your instinct is to pretend it didn't happen — but your face gives you away. For pretending you didn't notice on a grander scale, see This Is Fine or Hide The Pain Harold.","format":"template","textBoxes":[{"label":"The Situation","x":1,"y":1,"w":49,"h":30,"placeholder":"What's happening","fontFamily":"Arial","fontColor":"#000000","strokeWidth":0,"isBold":false,"isItalic":false,"isAllCaps":false,"textAlign":"center","fontSize":42,"opacity":1},{"label":"The Side-Eye","x":51,"y":1,"w":48,"h":30,"placeholder":"The guilty reaction","fontFamily":"Arial","fontColor":"#000000","strokeWidth":0,"isBold":false,"isItalic":false,"isAllCaps":false,"textAlign":"center","fontSize":42,"opacity":1}],"howToMake":["The Monkey Puppet template is ready. Just add your text","Type your top text for the awkward situation and bottom text for the nervous reaction. The monkey's side-eye does the rest","Pick a layout: Classic overlays text on the monkey, or switch to Classic Bars if you want the captions separated","Lean into a bold, clean font so the awkward side-eye energy isn't lost in cluttered text","Download your finished meme as a PNG or Copy it to paste directly into a conversation"],"exampleCaptions":["WHEN SOMEONE ASKS WHO ATE THE LAST SLICE","AND YOU'RE STILL CHEWING"],"exampleAltText":"Monkey Puppet meme about being asked who ate the last slice while you're still chewing","exampleRefreshDate":"2026-02-22","seo":{"aliases":["Awkward Monkey","Monkey Looking Away","Side Eye Puppet","Nervous Monkey","Monkey Side Glance"],"description":"A puppet monkey from a Japanese TV show performs a quick, nervous sideways glance — looking away from the camera and then back with an expression that screams \"I'm going to pretend I didn't just see/hear that.\" The puppet's eyes dart with a guilty, anxious energy. It's the face you make when someone says something painfully awkward and you don't know where to look.","definition":"That nervous sideways glance when you hear something you weren't supposed to, or when someone calls out the exact thing you were hoping nobody would notice. A puppet monkey's darting eyes do all the talking.","useCases":[{"category":"Getting Caught","examples":["When someone mentions your name in a conversation you were pretending not to listen to","When the teacher calls on you and you were definitely on your phone","When your browser history gets brought up and you forgot to clear it","When someone asks what you did all weekend and you literally did nothing","When you talk about someone and they're standing right behind you","When mom finds the hidden report card"]},{"category":"Work Anxiety","examples":["When the boss says 'whoever did this, speak up now' and it was definitely you","When someone replies all and calls out a mistake you made","When they ask who's been using the company printer for personal stuff","When the Slack message was meant for your friend but you sent it to the work channel","When IT asks why you've been on YouTube for 3 hours during work"]},{"category":"Awkward Social Moments","examples":["When someone waves and you wave back but they were waving at the person behind you","When you say 'you too' after the waiter says 'enjoy your meal'","When someone asks 'how are you' and you accidentally say 'good how are you' twice","When someone is telling a story and you realize you already told them this exact story","When you pull a push door in front of a crowd of people"]},{"category":"Relationship Red Flags","examples":["When your partner asks to see your phone and you suddenly remember 47 things","When someone asks 'who's that' about a like on your photo","When your ex gets brought up at dinner and your current partner is right there","When you accidentally like a photo from 2019 while scrolling their feed","When someone says 'we need to talk' and you run through everything you've ever done wrong"]},{"category":"Food & Guilt","examples":["When someone asks about the leftovers that you definitely ate at 2am","When they ask who finished the ice cream and the empty container is still in your hand","When your roommate counts their snacks and looks at you","When someone says 'I was saving that' and you just swallowed the last bite","When the diet starts tomorrow but you're ordering pizza right now"]},{"category":"School & Studying","examples":["When the professor asks if everyone did the reading and makes eye contact with you","When someone asks what your grade was and you don't want to say","When the group project member asks what part you did and you did nothing","When the teacher is handing back tests face down and says 'some of you need to study more'","When someone asks how your thesis is going and you haven't started"]},{"category":"Technology & Privacy","examples":["When your screen time report pops up in front of someone","When someone asks to Google something on your phone and your last search is embarrassing","When the Bluetooth connects to the living room speaker and you're watching something questionable","When you're screen sharing and a notification pops up","When someone asks why your recommended videos are all 3am rabbit hole content"]}]}}