The Odyssey 'Beggars' Meme, Explained
Every so often, a meme comes along that almost eclipses its source material. Maybe that’s a pun because the meme involves Robert Pattinson, but you get my point.
Since The Odyssey was released on July 17, the Internet has responded with more memes than there were soldiers crammed in that Trojan horse. There’s a lot that can be said about them, but for now, be assured of one thing: they’re hilarious.
Of all The Odyssey memes that have circulated the past few days, the funniest and most widely-used one is undoubtedly the “beggars” meme. This should make sense if you’ve seen the movie, but if you’re ‘begging’ for more information on the meme, then you’re in luck. Please be advised that there are, of course, spoilers ahead.
What Is the 'Beggars' Meme?
The meme is pretty simple. It involves R-Patz sitting at a feasting table and saying, with unforgettable vigour, “Somebody get these beggars out here!” He didn’t have to go that hard, but he did: he did it for us.
Taken straight off the screen, it’s a line that has a certain power to it, and like all good memes, it is malleable, meaning that it can be applied to all kinds of situations.
Primarily, the meme is being used as a humorous reaction for scenarios that roast someone for exhibiting “begging” behaviour, like applying for jobs or trying to eat someone else’s crisps in class.
What makes the meme so funny is Pattinson’s passionate delivery of the line, especially his emphasis on the word “beggars.” I always knew that Pattinson was a little freak, but the way he took ownership of that line proves once again that the man is nothing if not hilarious.
What's the Context for the Meme?
Pattinson plays Antinous in The Odyssey. He’s the most vocal of Penelope’s suitors, of which there are 108(!). Like the rest of them, he has basically invaded the castle since Odysseus went off to war, shamelessly feasting on their food and wine night after night with the hope that Penelope, Odysseus' wife, will eventually pick him as her husband and, by default, the king of Ithaca.
Finally, at the end of her tether, Penelope announces a challenge: anyone who can string Odysseus’ bow and shoot an arrow between 12 axeheads will win her hand. Naturally, all the suitors suck at it, and nobody can complete the challenge.
This leads to Antinous giving a big speech on how nobody can match up to Odysseus, but to pick one of them anyway, only for the ‘beggar’ (who is actually Odysseus in disguise) to request to try the challenge. As others laughed at the absurdity of this, Pattinson delivers the performance of his life, shouting: “Somebody get these beggars out here!” And the rest is history.
How Has It Sparked More Odyssey Discourse?
As you probably know, The Odyssey is currently playing in theatres. This means that the clip circulating was filmed directly in the cinema.
For cinephiles, this is problematic for several reasons, including the fact that it is literally piracy and that filming the movie actually spoils it for everybody else. But the biggest issue with it, arguably, is that this sets a precedent.
By this, I mean that if a clip directly from the cinema went viral instead of being immediately shut down, it might encourage more people to film movies at the cinema to capture a similar viral reaction. It’s definitely not something to be encouraged, but by embracing the meme, some argue that is exactly what we’re doing.
