For many teachers at Fannie Lou, mentioning the number 5 is a moment of dreaded anticipation and exhaustion, as they know all too well what would follow next: “Sixxx- Sevennn.” Fortunately for staff, this meme that caused countless laughs to emerge may no longer be an interruption, because just like with all other internet memes, it will eventually die out.
Many students and staff have various opinions on this meme. Alma Boschulte, a Senior from Fannie Lou, who, when asked for her input said, “6-7 is just pure brainrot and trending. That’s it.”
While D2 History teacher Lior Levy said, “I don’t really know what 67 means, I guess students made their own interpretations of it. I do believe it’s a good community builder and allows students to connect easier. They just get a good laugh out of it at the end of the day, there’s no real harm.”
Still, Erickson Rosario, a senior from Fannie Lou, thinks, “It’s just a terrible joke. The majority who say it have no idea where it comes from whatsoever, and that includes me.” Erickson’s comment highlights a common issue with most internet trends, which is that most people who often join them can’t explain where they come from.
While many assume that the 67 meme suddenly gained popularity this year, its origin actually dates back to late last year, when rapper Skrilla first used it. In his now famous track, “Doot Doot,” he casually name-dropped 67—a nod to 67th Street in Philadelphia, where his buddies are from. But the meme wasn’t born yet. Popular fan-cam edits on TikTok using Skrilla’s song with NBA player Lamelo Ball, where fans associated 67 with his height, 6 ‘7. But this meme really shapeshifted into its modern interpretation during one faithful basketball match, where Maverick Trevillian, a kid being filmed during a high school basketball game, suddenly shouted 67 in front of the camera shaking his hands up and down, referencing the edits.
However, you better enjoy the trend while it lasts, as the destiny for 67 is bleak. The nature of internet trends is that they eventually die out. Slang like “Dog water”, “Griminance Shake”, and “Ohio”, used to be popular among Gen Z on Tiktok and in real life, but overtime people started using them less, and soon enough people stopped using them.
67 as a whole captures Gen Z desire to have fun and dissociate from what’s going on around the world. Climate change, Donald Trump’s second term, and countless reminders of the world not being a good place, make memes such as 67 a relief and escape from reality. Although it may die soon, it is helping Gen Z go through hard times, by giving them a laugh that’s unrelated to anything that’s real.