23 Ben Affleck Smoking Memes & Templates for Daily Exhaustion

What is the "Ben Affleck Smoking" Meme?

The Ben Affleck Smoking meme (also known as "Sad Ben Affleck") refers to a series of paparazzi photos of actor Ben Affleck, most notably a 2016 image captured in London. In the original photo, Affleck is seen leaning against a wall, wearing a blue sweater and jeans, exhaling cigarette smoke with an exhausted expression.

This image gained viral traction on platforms like Twitter and Reddit because it provides a literal visual for high-stress situations and burnout.

Digital creators use this template to communicate specific scenarios where a person feels overwhelmed. Common applications include:

• Workplace Stress: Often captioned with "Me after a 10-minute Zoom call" or "Friday at 4:59 PM," highlighting the gap between professional expectations and personal exhaustion.
• Social Battery Depletion: Used to describe the feeling of needing a break after minor social interactions or large events.
• Life Transitions: Frequently applied to news regarding Affleck’s personal life or career shifts (such as his retirement from the Batman role), making the meme self-referential to his Hollywood career.
• The "Dunkin' Donuts" Variant: Later iterations of the meme include Affleck struggling with multiple coffee cups, often combined with the smoking photo to show a progression of a "bad day."

While Affleck noted in a 2022 interview that the meme does not reflect his actual mental state at the time, it remains a staple reaction image for its relatability and visual clarity.

Explore 23 Classic "Ben Affleck Smoking" Meme Examples