City Boy Meme: The Complete Story Behind the Gravity Falls Clip That Won't Stop Going Viral

The Meme That Keeps Coming Back

If you've been on TikTok lately, you've probably seen it: a cartoon character from some animated show yelling "City boy! City boy!" over and over again, usually spliced with clips of guys doing... well, guy things.

The meme first blew up in 2022. Then it kind of faded. And now? It's back. Bigger than before. My For You Page is basically just this clip on repeat at this point.

But where did it actually come from? And why does everyone keep using it?

I went down the rabbit hole so you don't have to.

Where the Clip Actually Comes From

The scene is from Gravity Falls, an animated series that aired on Disney Channel starting in 2012. If you haven't watched it, the show follows twin siblings Dipper and Mabel who spend their summer with their great-uncle in a small Oregon town full of supernatural mysteries.

The specific clip comes from Season 1, Episode 3, titled "Headhunters," which first aired on June 30, 2012. In the episode, Dipper tries to solve a mystery but gets mocked by Deputy Durland, a local cop who sarcastically dismisses him by repeatedly shouting "City boy! City boy!"

The joke is simple: Dipper is from the city, so he's obviously clueless about how things work in rural Oregon. Durland's over-the-top mocking delivery turned out to be comedy gold that would resurface a decade later.

Deputy Durland himself is kind of a minor character in the show - he's the dimwitted deputy who works alongside Sheriff Blubs. But that one scene? Iconic. (You can find more details about the character on Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry.)

The Slang Meaning Behind "City Boy"

Here's where it gets interesting. The meme isn't just about Gravity Falls.

The term "city boy" in internet slang actually comes from a 2019 trend. That May, Megan Thee Stallion dropped her album "Fever" and declared herself a "hot girl." This sparked the whole "Hot Girl Summer" thing on Twitter, where women posted about confidence, self-empowerment, and just generally living their best lives.

Then, about a month later, guys on social media responded with "City Boy Summer." Except... it wasn't really about empowerment. It was more about being emotionally unavailable, playing the field, and generally being dismissive toward women. The "city boy" became slang for a guy who prioritizes himself over relationships - sometimes to a fault.

So when the Gravity Falls clip started circulating, it clicked. Deputy Durland's mocking "City boy!" became the perfect reaction to videos of men displaying classic "city boy" behavior.

The 2022 TikTok Explosion

The meme really took off in June 2022.

One of the earliest viral examples came from TikToker @thaboyzbible on June 20th. The video showed a man refusing to give a woman his Snapchat, cut with the Gravity Falls scene. It pulled in over 7 million views before eventually getting deleted.

The same day, @shaggingtonfc.official posted a version using a clip from Love Island, which hit 3 million views within five days.

By late June, the meme had completely taken over TikTok. @ryanwmpugh even made a video just commenting on how often the City Boy meme was showing up on his feed - that post alone got over 10,000 likes.

The format was straightforward: find a video of a guy being dismissive, aloof, or just generally unbothered by a woman's advances, then cut to Deputy Durland going "City boy! City boy!" The more dramatic the cut, the better.

For a few months, you literally couldn't escape it.

The 2026 Comeback Nobody Expected

Then it died down. For a while.

Cut to early January 2026, and suddenly it's everywhere again.

On January 7th, TikTok account @reelrushclips_ posted a video of a couple talking in a car that abruptly cut to the Gravity Falls scene. That kicked off the resurgence, racking up thousands of likes and comments as the meme started flooding the platform again.

The next day, @ryanwmpugh - the same creator who commented on the meme's saturation back in 2022 - posted a follow-up acknowledging its return four years later. That video exploded with over 290,000 likes.

By January 10th and 11th, new variations were popping up constantly. One popular example showed a man declining to hook up with two women after they said "anyone" would say yes to them. The comments section filled with edited images of Deputy Durland in various exaggerated edits.

Another viral post featured a guy telling a woman to stop taking photos on his bike after she refused to take a selfie with him. Over 400,000 likes in a single day.

The formula hasn't really changed. It's the same setup as 2022 - the meme just resonates.

Why This Meme Works So Well

Some memes are complicated. This one isn't.

The humor comes from a few things:

The delivery. Deputy Durland's voice acting is genuinely hilarious. The way he says "City boy!" with that mocking tone is just... perfect. It's easy to hear in your head even when you're not watching the video.

The timing. When edited correctly, the cut from a normal video to Durland's outburst creates a comedic whiplash that lands every time.

The relatability. Whether you're the "city boy" in question or you've dated one, there's recognition in the meme. It taps into a specific type of male behavior that plenty of people have encountered.

The versatility. Almost any video of a guy being aloof or dismissive works with this format. The template is endlessly recyclable.

Making Your Own City Boy Meme

Want to jump on the trend? The good news is you don't need video editing skills anymore.

Our City Boy meme generator lets you create custom memes in seconds. Just pick your text, position it where you want, and download. No watermarks, no signup required.

Some popular caption ideas:

• "When she wants to DTR and you've been dating for 3 years"
• "When she asks where this is going"
• "Tell Yo Mama I Loved Her Cooking"
• "Stay Toxic"

The last two are phrases that became associated with the meme culture around City Boy content. "Tell Yo Mama I Loved Her Cooking" is particularly popular as a dismissive exit line.

The Meme's Cultural Context

It's worth noting that the City Boy meme sits in an interesting cultural space.

On one hand, it's clearly poking fun at emotionally unavailable men. Most people sharing it aren't endorsing the behavior - they're laughing at it, calling it out, or using it as relatable commentary on dating in the modern era.

On the other hand, there's definitely a subset of creators who post it unironically, as if being a "city boy" is aspirational. The meme has become a kind of Rorschach test for how different people view these dating dynamics.

Either way, it generates engagement. The comment sections under City Boy videos are always chaotic, which probably explains why the algorithm keeps pushing them.

What Makes a Good City Boy Meme?

If you're planning to create your own, here are some tips:

The setup matters. The funnier the contrast between the initial video and the Durland cut, the better the meme lands. Look for moments of genuine surprise or subverted expectations.

Audio sync is key. The best versions time the cut so that Durland's "City boy!" hits right at the moment of maximum comedic impact.

Keep it short. These memes work best when they're quick. The Gravity Falls clip is only a few seconds long - the setup shouldn't be much longer.

Context helps. Adding text that explains what's happening in the video makes the meme more shareable. Not everyone will understand the situation without a caption.

For static memes and image posts, you can use our free meme maker to add custom text directly to the City Boy image.

Will It Come Back Again?

Almost certainly.

The City Boy meme has proven it has staying power. Unlike most internet trends that flare up and disappear forever, this one has now had two major viral moments separated by nearly four years.

Part of that is probably because Gravity Falls has a dedicated fan base that keeps the show's content circulating. Part of it is the meme format being genuinely versatile. And part of it is just that the dating behaviors the meme comments on... aren't going anywhere.

See you in 2030 when Deputy Durland inevitably takes over TikTok again.

Further Reading

Want to dive even deeper into the City Boy phenomenon? Check out this comprehensive breakdown from Know Your Meme: What Is The 'City Boy' Meme? Why The 'Gravity Falls' Clip Is Going Viral In 2026.

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