두뇌풀가동

‘두뇌풀가동’ means “using one’s brain’s full capacity.”

This meme originated from a TV show where a female singer, Chae Yeon, had to solve a simple math question to avoid a penalty in a game. The question was “2+2 x 2 =” and the right answer was 6. However, Chae Yeon chose 8 and lost the game.

In the TV show, Chae Yeon’s confused face while she was debating between the two numbers was accompanied by the subtitle, “두뇌풀가동,” and it became one of the longest living memes on the Korean internet.

In fact, this meme’s popularity is partly due to the misogynic atmosphere of the Korean internet. Especially in the early days of the internet culture in Korea, making fun of a woman’s lack of intelligence was an incredibly popular activity and female celebrities were the easiest victims.

Another notorious example is a remark rumored to have been made by the singer and actor Youn Eun-hye on live TV. It is rumored that she said, “Why do Greeks play soccer in the wee hours?” before a soccer game, not understanding the time difference. Although there’s no evidence that she actually made the remark, most Koreans believe that she said it on live TV.

‘두뇌풀가동’ is still a very popular meme. Whenever someone tries to find an answer to a tricky question on a TV show, it is accompanied by the subtitle ‘두뇌풀가동.’