But Can You Do This is a PewDiePie catchphrase from late 2017, uttered while reclining in his signature Clutch Chairz gaming chair as a joke rebuttal. Fans turned it into a running gag mocking the chair's high price and PewDiePie's smug delivery.
Origin
PewDiePie helped design the chair himself with Clutch Chairz before it went on sale on the company's site[1]. He first dropped the But Can You Do This line in his November 14th, 2017 video titled WE CANT LET JAKE PAUL BEAT ME! LWIAY #0012, reacting to a fan image that mocked how much the chair cost by leaning back and showing off the recline function[2]. The moment was quick, but the delivery, deadpan and smug, was what made viewers clip it.
- Platform: YouTube (LWIAY series) / Reddit (remix spread)
- Creator: PewDiePie
- Date: 2017
Overview
But Can You Do This is a catchphrase from Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie, delivered while leaning back in his signature reclining gaming chair as a mock retort to any criticism. The chair itself was a PewDiePie Edition model built in collaboration with Clutch Chairz, marketed with high-density foam, dura-soft leather, and an ergonomic lumbar cushion[1]. Fans seized on the line as an in-joke about the chair's steep price, using it whenever they wanted to poke fun at Pewds for flexing an expensive piece of furniture[2].
The format is simple: someone makes a point, and the reply is But Can You Do This paired with a dramatic recline. Because the joke only works if the responder has literally nothing better to say, it doubles as a self-own, which is a big part of why the bit stuck around in PewDiePie's fan community[2].
How It Spread
About a month later, PewDiePie brought the bit back in his December 11th, 2017 video The REAL reason I wasnt in YouTube Rewind, and from that point on the line kept showing up in his uploads[2]. Once it was a repeat joke, remix channels moved in. YouTuber Ultim3te Highlights posted an edited compilation on December 22nd, 2017, and Day By Dave dropped a musical remix on January 9th, 2018[2].
Reddit's r/PewdiepieSubmissions ran with the format too. On January 7th, 2018, user KeWirth mashed the line up with the Somebody Toucha My Spaghetto meme, pulling in more than 1,800 upvotes, while a post by user kartik727 collected over 1,600 upvotes around the same time[2]. Urban Dictionary entries from the same window defined the phrase as a way to shut down an argument by rolling back in a chair when you have no real counter[3].
How to Use
The template typically pairs the phrase with an image or short clip of someone leaning back dramatically in a chair, often in reply to a serious argument or an insult they can't answer. A common convention is to caption the recline moment with But Can You Do This in all caps, framing the response as a smug flex that's obviously not a real rebuttal[3].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is But Can You Do This?
It's a catchphrase from PewDiePie, said while reclining in his signature Clutch Chairz gaming chair as a joke retort to criticism[2].
Where did But Can You Do This come from?
PewDiePie first said it in his November 14th, 2017 video WE CANT LET JAKE PAUL BEAT ME! LWIAY #0012 while showing off the recline feature of his chair[2].
What does But Can You Do This mean?
It's a mock rebuttal used when you can't actually counter someone's point, so you flex something unrelated instead, in Pewds' case the reclining chair[3].
How do you use But Can You Do This?
Reply to any argument with the phrase and a shot of someone dramatically leaning back in a chair, often paired with the smug PewDiePie delivery[2].
Is But Can You Do This still popular?
It's a classic PewDiePie fandom in-joke from the 2017-2018 LWIAY era and still gets referenced in edits and remixes tied to that period[2].
