Here's what the August 27th meme on TikTok means

26 August 2020, 23:02

KJ Apa’s dancing TikTok videos are out of control

By Katie Louise Smith

What's happening on August 27th on TikTok? Here's an explainer.

If you've spent the last week scrolling through your FYP page on TikTok, the chances of you coming across someone talking about August 27th will be high.

The date has, for some reason, gone viral on the app but no one really seems to understand what it means. The #August27th hashtag currently has 15.5 million views and is full of people mysteriously alluding to the date, with captions like "remember the date", "you've been chosen" or "you're invited".

READ MORE: What does Alt TikTok and Straight TikTok mean?

So, what does it actually mean? Where did it start? And what the hell is going to happen on August 27th on TikTok? Here's an explainer...

The August 27th meme first went viral on the app thanks to a video from TikTok user @stfusamantha. This particular video is probably the one you will have seen on your FYP, with over 1.2m likes and 5.6m views.

The text in the TikTok reads: "If this is on your FYP... Congratulations. You've been chosen. remember the date August 27th. It's important."

Other TikTok users began sharing similar videos with similar vague messaging about the date, and no clear explanation of what it actually meant. The August 27th meme sort of took off from there.

Shortly after posting, @stfusamantha explained that the video was just a joke, and also responded to an article from Distractify who reported on the viral trend, with the caption: "I really have no words at this point."

But while we now know that the August 27th trend was just a joke, it hasn't stopped TikTok users from running with it. The date has since been turned into a meme, with users adding a "team" element to their videos, and reacting to the ominous messaging about the date – some even wearing Anonymous masks.

It has also now been claimed as a day of manifestation. Explained in a video by user @arinox_, August 27th 2020 is a day where "you will be able to manifest anything you f*cking want."

"All you have to do is write it down on a piece of paper a couple of times, fold that shit up, let it go, trust that the universe is gonna give it to and it's gonna f*cking give it to you," they continued.

The New York Times technology reporter Taylor Lorenz has also laid out an explanation of the meme in a thread on Twitter. Additionally, she notes that some TikTok users have said August 27th is apparently the date that The Simpsons is said to have predicted Donald Trump's death.

However, that rumour has since been disproven and debunked by Snopes. Trump's death has never been featured on The Simpsons and the image, which is said to have first appeared on 4chan, was never shared by The Huffington Post.

So, there you have it. August 27th on TikTok. Nothing ominous, just a joke. And now simply just a day to go wild on TikTok and manifest whatever the f*ck you want.