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Ben Affleck, looking miserable at the Grammys, becomes a meme yet again

By Shannon Larson Globe Staff,Updated February 6, 2023, 11:24 a.m.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck attended the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 5. in Los Angeles.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

The Grammy Awards on Sunday night had show-stopping performances, breathtaking designer outfits, and history-defining moments.

But among the most talked-about celebrity appearances at the music industry bash? Ben Affleck and his “resting sad face.”

At this point, it seems safe to say the Cambridge-raised actor can’t help but become a meme.

You may recall when “Sadfleck” took over the Internet in 2016 when the Oscar winner seemed to sink into an existential crisis during an interview. Around the same time, paparazzi snapped a photo of Affleck smoking a cigarette with a look of utter distress on his face. And, of course, there’s the never-ending photo roll of the actor cradling his Dunkin’.

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But it was his apparent exasperation at the Grammys, which he attended with his wife, actress Jennifer Lopez, that drew all eyes to Affleck — and produced meme after meme in the process.

He frowned. He looked bewildered. He subtly nodded his head while performers took the stage and awards were handed out. And he quickly became a trending topic on Twitter.

“Ben Affleck ten seconds from mouthing the word ‘help’ directly into the camera,” one person joked.

“You can see his batteries draining in real time,” one tweeted. “Man is already at 23%.”

Affleck was “every guy at his wife’s work party,” another observed.

He looked “like he’d rather be at Dunkin,” many pointed out. (To be fair, Ben was all smiles while serving up orders at a Medford drive-through last month.)

Some on social media came to his defense. Affleck “just has resting sad face,” one person suggested. Another person applauded his look of annoyance, saying he is “so consistent in his misery” that it’s almost admirable.

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More than a few found him downright relatable.

“Ben Affleck is me filling the room with negative energy when I’m hangry,” one said.

And at least a few expressed concern for the actor’s well-being, asking those around him to “check on Ben Affleck” — or maybe let him take a break from the ceremony.

But most couldn’t get enough of his apparent struggles.

“Whoever keeps cutting to Ben Affleck as he gets more and more exasperated, thank you,” tweeted one person. “Every one is perfect.”

Take a look at a few of the best memes:

Shannon Larson can be reached at shannon.larson@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @shannonlarson98.

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