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A new TikTok trend has seen netizens flood the comments section across various social media platforms with the phrase "Waffle House has found its new host." The expression first took over YouTube on January 12, 2023, but soon spread to Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and other platforms.
While the phrase itself has no meaning behind it, YouTuber @Johnny RaZeR Shorts recently posted an explanation behind the trend, claiming that he was responsible for starting the copypasta.
'Copypasta' is a term or phrase repeatedly copied and pasted across social media platforms and internet forums.
In the video, Johnny stated:
"This is a phrase that is going to haunt me for the rest of my life... By explaining it to you, you’re now part of the bit and you are recruited to join the fight."
"I know just as much as you" - YouTuber @Johnny RaZeR Shorts explains the Waffle House-based trend
YouTuber @Johnny RaZeR Shorts explained that the idea stemmed from a "psy op" (psychological operation) prank. He intended to prank the internet for a few days by having his viewers "put a phrase in the comments section of every video they watched."
He explained:
"As for the meaning of the quote itself, honestly, I know just as much as you. I’m pretty sure it’s just a reference to cursed waffle houses, which has been a bit of a running gag on my channel."
The spam phrase itself seems to have no meaning behind it. Jason Faulkner, Senior Editor of Game Revolution and PlayStation LifeStyle explained that even nonsensical memes are based on relevant themes or phenomena. Faulkner added that the Waffle House comment plague will "burn itself out" as there is no "ideological backbone" to continue it.
Netizens who spammed comment sections across social media with the Waffle House quote believed that the copypasta did not need to be explained and that the randomness was a part of the bit. However, this left many internet users baffled.
This eventually sparked a meme fest online, with frustrated users trying to understand the drive behind the copypasta.
"Waffle House has found its new host" is not the first copypasta that has confounded netizens
A few weeks ago, @thesleepyparamedic shared a post encouraging others to participate in "operation crumb blast." The operation involved people commenting with a croissant emoticon on any video they came across on their "For You" page.
In January 2022, YouTuber @JellyBean urged his followers to comment, "It’s not a mistake, it’s a masterpiece" on all videos they watched online. The trend went viral across the United States and around the world.
The terms "crop" and "storytime" have been part of internet slang for some time. Crop is used to request the original poster to re-upload a meme or image seen in a video without any additional text so that they can take a screenshot of it. When one comments "Storytime," they are requesting the uploader to give the full context behind the content shown in the particular video.
However, in early 2022, TikTokers spammed the comments of random videos with the said phrases as a parody on those who made such comments.
