Fans Of Inside Out 2 Are Using It’s Always Sunny, Justin Bieber And More To Illustrate The Emotions In Their Heads, And The Viral Trend Is Incredible

Anxiety is shown with Disgust and Joy in Inside Out 2.
(Image credit: Pixar)

Inside Out 2 instantly became one of the year’s biggest movies when it hit the box office in June, and audiences have continued to flock to theaters to experience Pixar’s new flood of emotions. One of the things that makes Inside Out 2 a good movie is how viewers of all ages can relate to the feelings being portrayed on the screen, and a new viral trend is helping people express themselves even further. In fact, fans are pulling from other facets of entertainment, like It’s Always Sunny in PHiladelphia and Justin Bieber, to illustrate their emotions, and I can’t get enough of these creative comparisons.

The Pixar sequel Inside Out 2 continues Riley’s story from the 2015 animated classic, adding more complex emotions like Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui to portray a teenager’s authentic experience. It’s inspired people to imagine what we might get if Inside Out 2 were filmed inside their own heads, leading to the fantastic viral trend. I mean, who hasn’t felt this kind of Shameless chaos from time to time, as posted by one X (Twitter) user: 

Another person referenced Taylor Swift and The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version), seemingly telling their brain, “Look What You Made Me Do” and wondering which of these beautiful emotions they could expect to be dealing with today. 

If Inside Out 2 can truly paint a picture of what anxiety feels like, I’d argue that a series like The Bear is just as good at inducing that emotion. That seems to be the experience of another social media user, as they tweeted

Sometimes it’s hard to know which emotion would be appropriate to access, and I can completely relate to this It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia image that seems to portray some kind of perplexed bemusement: 

You know that feeling when a gang of Justin Biebers “Pull Up” in your brain? Yeah, um, me neither. 

Love Island provided another perfect illustration of how it can feel when the emotions aren’t sure how to proceed. As one fan put it: 

And for anybody who’s ever frozen up when asked if you’re more of a Miranda or a Carrie, just do like this person say it depends on the day: 

Inside Out 2 will undoubtedly join its predecessor as one of the best Pixar films, even if it did leave some of our staff feeling the second-hand embarrassment. Being able to identify and communicate what we’re feeling is so important, which is why this viral trend that allows the world a peek at how we picture our emotions is so great. We feel a little less alone knowing that others can identify with us, and we’re having a good laugh in the meantime. 

If you haven’t made it out to see the animated sequel yet, Inside Out 2 is still in theaters, and be sure to check out our 2024 movie release calendar to see what else is new and coming soon to the big screen. 

Heidi Venable
Content Producer

Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.