The line comes from the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, which ran from 1978 to 1986, where Gary Coleman played Arnold Jackson and made the question to his older brother Willis a signature catchphrase. Repeated in episodes and later in reruns, clips and compilations, it became shorthand for disbelief long before short-form video existed. Online creators revived it as a reaction sound because the delivery is instantly recognisable even without context, and it still appears in memes, edits and streams whenever someone wants to question a wild claim.
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The Diff'rent Strokes catchphrase 'What you talkin' about, Willis?' spoken by Arnold, used as a confused reaction to surprising or unbelievable claims in memes.
This is Arnold Jackson's famous question from Diff'rent Strokes, delivered in a high-pitched, incredulous child's voice with a sharp rise at the end, as if he cannot believe what he has just heard. The line lands instantly because the name Willis gives it a punch and a familiar rhythm, turning simple disbelief into comedy. Hearing it makes a viewer pause, rewind the claim in their head, and expect a joke or a twist to follow. It works best as a short, punchy interruption, cutting through a boast, a strange story, or an obvious lie with playful scepticism rather than anger.