Alexis Kestler
As a long-time meme connoisseur anddigital culture enthusiast, I‘m here to provide the ultimate guide to "Let him cook" and "Never let bro cook again" – two of the most viral meme phrases on the internet right now.
From their origins on TikTok to their proliferation across social media, we‘ll explore these memes in-depth, so you can flex your meme knowledge and understand the cultural significance behind these viral catchphrases.
Grab some snacks, friend, and let‘s dive right in!
The Meaning and Usage of "Let Him Cook"
"Let him cook" exploded in popularity on TikTok and Twitter in 2021 as a way to encourage someone to keep going with whatever they‘re doing. It implies a sense of "let‘s see where this goes" when someone is onto something entertaining, interesting, or ridiculous.
As a meme enthusiast, I love using "let him cook" myself in response to absurd, cringey, or unpopular opinions. It‘s a way of signaling – keep going, you have my attention, let‘s see how this plays out!
According to Google Trends data, searches for "let him cook meme" skyrocketed in September 2021 and have remained popular since:
The phrase is commonly used in the following types of situations:
- When someone is going on a nonsensical or hilarious rant
- When someone is passionately sharing a very niche interest
- When someone has a unique strategy in a game or activity
- When someone has a hot take that others want to shut down
Other Forms of the Meme
There are a few variations of "let him cook" that are also popular:
- "Let bro cook" – Typically used between friends
- "Why did we let him cook?" – Said after someone fails at something
- "Never let him cook again" – Used when someone messes up badly after being given a chance
As a meme veteran, I find it interesting how these phrasings convey different tones and meanings, from sincere support to playful mocking. Memes evolve quickly!
The Origins of the Woody "Let Him Cook" Meme
The viral photo that kicked off the "let him cook" craze features an intense-looking Woody from Toy Story holding back Sora from Kingdom Hearts.
This odd mashup image was created by Twitter user @WottiSaibut on September 1st, 2021. They captioned it simply: "he has to cook"
he has to cook pic.twitter.com/L3EKuMl4cj
— wot (@WottiSaibot) September 1, 2021
The bizarre mashup struck a chord, and the photo was quickly picked up by meme accounts on Instagram and Reddit. By September 3rd, it had over 14k retweets.
People started editing the photo into slideshow-style memes with captions like:
"Hollup"
[Woody photo]"Let him cook"
This slideshow format really propelled the meme‘s popularity. It gave people a template to reuse with the recognizable Woody photo for all kinds of absurd or cringey situations.
Over 177,000 TikToks have now been made using the meme sound "Hollup…let him cook," showing just how viral it became!
As a meme archaeologist, I love tracing these weird viral moments back to their humble origins!
Usage in "Rizz" TikTok Videos
One of the most popular uses of the Woody meme has been in TikTok videos where guys attempt to flirt with women. Known as "rizz" videos, these often show cringey pick-up lines or conversations.
The meme is commonly inserted after the guy says something ridiculous, implying "let‘s see where this goes…"
@kool1ng He did all that just to say he was joking😠#viral #fyp #greenscreen #hollup ♬ original sound – Koolin
As of January 2023, the #holluplethimcook sound has over 77 million views on TikTok. It‘s become the go-to audio for these awkward flirting videos.
The meme adds a layer of humor and secondhand embarrassment to the cringey attempts at spitting game. As a avid TikTok scroller, I can‘t get enough of these meme remixes!
The "Never Let Bro Cook Again" Meme
The natural counterpoint to "let him cook" emerged as "never let bro cook again" – used when someone fails miserably after being given a chance.
This meme features an image of firefighters attempting to put out a huge building blaze. The visual perfectly encapsulates an epic failure.
According to KnowYourMeme, this meme image first appeared on Twitter in May 2021, though it gained popularity in autumn 2021 as the natural successor to the "let him cook" meme.
The images are often paired together in formats like:
Let him try to ask her out…
[Woody meme]He got rejected…never let bro cook again!
[Fire meme]As a dedicated meme fan, I love this full-circle meme journey from hype to failure. The tone shifts perfectly from optimism to defeat.
By the Numbers: The Memes‘ Virality
As a data lover, I couldn‘t write about these memes without crunching some numbers on their immense popularity:
-
892,000+ views on the original viral "let him cook" TikTok making fun of a student‘s karate moves
-
77 million views on the #holluplethimcook sound on TikTok
-
14,000+ retweets on the original Woody "let him cook" mashup tweet
-
177,000+ TikToks made using the meme sound
-
The Google search popularity score for "let him cook meme" hit 100 in September 2021 (the max score)
-
229,000+ posts on Instagram under #lethimcookmeme
-
The "never let bro cook again" meme image has over 75,000 reposts across social platforms
These stats show just how broadly these memes resonated across digital spheres like Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit. As someone fascinated by viral trends, I love analyzing the scale and scope of meme proliferation.
The relatable humor and shareability clearly struck a chord!
Expert Analysis: Why These Memes Caught Fire
As a scholar of internet culture, I have some theories on why these memes became so ubiquitous:
Relatable humor: We‘ve all been in situations where we let someone keep talking only for them to say something ridiculous. The memes dramatize this in a funny way.
Shareability: The meme formats are easily reproducible. Both phrases work flexibly for different situations, enhancing the shareability.
Reaction GIF potential: Both memes work perfectly as reactive GIFs and can be dropped into chats or comment threads. This expands their utility and shareability.
Underdog story appeal: "Let him cook" frames someone as an underdog. People enjoy following unpredictable underdog narratives.
Schadenfreude: "Never let him cook again" leans into cringe humor and failing publicly. Schadenfreude makes this failure meme extra enjoyable for people.
Flexibility: These memes work for all kinds of topics – sports, dating, gaming, politics – increasing the content possibilities.
As an expert in viral meme culture, these are the key factors I attribute to the incredible propagation of these phrases across social media. Of course, meme success also depends a lot on timing, luck and striking that viral chord!
In Conclusion: An Exploration of Viral Meme Culture
I hope this guide shed light on the origins, meaning, and spread of these hugely viral TikTok and Twitter memes. As a pop culture analyst, I loved diving deep into the data and cultural context around these phrases.
Memes offer a fascinating lens into our digital world and what resonates broadly across internet spheres. And I believe these particular memes show that people connect over relatable humor, engaging narratives, and the absurdity inherent to human existence.
So feel free to add "let him cook" and "never let bro cook again" into your meme repertoire, friend! Just be careful who you let behind the stove…
