"I See Dead People" is a well-known phrase originating from the 1999 supernatural horror film The Sixth Sense. The quote and variations of it are used online to humorously critique various groups of people by substituting the word 'dead' to poke fun at different behaviors or stereotypes.
The phrase "I See Dead People" comes from The Sixth Sense, a film directed by M Night Shyamalan and starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment, which premiered on August 2, 1999. In a key scene, the character Cole Sear, portrayed by Haley Joel Osment, reveals his ability to see ghosts with this line to Dr. Malcolm Crowe, played by Bruce Willis. This quote gained significant attention, being used in promotional content and trailers for the movie. It was humorously parodied in the 2000 film Scary Movie, where the character Shorty, played by Marlon Wayans, delivers a similar line while under the influence of marijuana. The parody can be seen on Wikipedia. By 2001, people began altering the phrase for comedic effect, such as replacing "dead" with "dumb" as seen on this personal website dating back to January 4, 2001. The memorable scene from The Sixth Sense can be viewed here.[1]
Origin: 1999