The Stay In The Box meme, also known as No, Get Out Of My Skin, comes from a viral clip of Twitch streamer Stable Ronaldo from a Fortnite stream on Nov. 29, 2023. In it, Ronaldo is acting out a skit and arguing back and forth with himself. He screams, “Stay in the box!” multiple times and the clip ends with him faking clawing at his skin and yelling, “Get out of my skin!”
This meme format is a common exploitable video meme challenge and has also been used as an image macro to convey an internal struggle or argument that someone is having with themselves, either seriously or comedically.
Meme basics
- Meme/trend creator: sound and video clip, @StableRonaldo/Twitch and meme, @fncliperton/TikTok
- Meme type: Exploitable meme, video meme, meme challenge, image macro
- First appearance: November 29, 2023 on Twitch, December 6, 2023 as a meme on TikTok
- Origin source: Twitch/TikTok
- Used to convey: An internal struggle or argument that someone is having with themselves
- Peak popularity: March 10-16, 2024
- Notable variations:
- Drawn characters arguing with each other
- Two people fighting
- Inanimate objects or animals
Origin and spread
The Stay In The Box meme originates from Twitch streamer StableRonaldo’s Fortnite stream on Nov. 29, 2023, where he was seemingly celebrating losing 27 pounds by playing the MMORPG, according to Know Your Meme. At nearly 5.5 hours into the stream, Ronaldo hides from other players in a box (or “building”) he created and starts having a faux argument with himself to keep the stream interesting.
In the fake argument reminiscent of Smeagol arguing with Gollum, Ronaldo goes back and forth with himself, saying, “Stay in the box—No!—Stay in the box!—No!—Get out of my skin!” He ends the extremely brief five-second clip by pretending to rend his flesh to escape his pretend demons.
It didn’t take long for a clip of the streamer’s lighthearted moment to go viral, as TikToker @fncliperton posted it on the video-sharing app on Dec. 6, 2023, and it gained over 3.7 million views in two weeks, according to Know Your Meme. The original clip and TikTok post have since been deleted.
Popularity
The Stay In The Box meme grew in popularity on TikTok as exploitable video audio to either lipsync dubs or to draw characters having arguments with themselves. Due to its video format, the majority of the posts using this meme are on TikTok.
After @fncliperton’s initial video went viral, many more followed suit. TikToker @leon.leonleonleon, posted the video with the text overlay reading, "long haired dudes fighting the voices telling them to get a buzzcut." The relatable video has been viewed over 13.4 million times since being posted on December 11th, 2023.
Another TikToker, @stronger_supergogeta, posted a slowed-down version of the audio. That video has been viewed over 1.2 million times and shared over 11K times.
Cultural context
This exploitable meme trend is highly relatable for many people, who find themselves internally struggling about a variety of topics, especially during the holidays when the sound and video meme first went viral.
Meme examples
![stay in the box meme video with the text overlay, "me trying to fight the urge to tell my friend [about] every single minor event that happens."](https://lede-admin.dailydot.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/69/2024/11/stay-in-the-box-meme-6.png?w=710)
Meme variations
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