The Brief: This meme shows a car making a last-minute turn off the freeway, representing someone choosing to do something last minute, often something that is self-destructive or bad.
DEEP DIVE
The image for this meme format originated from a YouTube video of a car drifting onto a freeway off-ramp. It has since been edited to include a highway sign that reads “Left Exit 12,” with has one arrow pointing straight and another curved to the right.
Most memes with this format include text on each side of the arrows. Text next to the straight arrow typically conveys a straight path or the right thing to do. On the right arrow, the direction the car appears to be suddenly turning, the text shows a worse alternative.
The idea is usually that someone is going out of their way last-minute to make a poor decision, against their better judgment or original intentions.