If the internet had a spirit animal for 2024, it would be Hawk Tuah, and Hailey Welch—the Hawk Tuah Girl—would be its official mascot. Her viral video, where she delivered the unforgettable phrase, “You gotta give ‘im that hawk tuah and spit on that thang,” has forever etched itself into the digital history books. But what made this moment so impactful on meme culture in 2024? Let’s break it down and see how one woman’s split-second moment of genius became the meme of the year.
The Perfect Recipe for a Meme
Meme culture, as we all know, thrives on two things: relatability and absurdity. It’s a delicate balance between something that feels universal yet is ridiculous enough to stand out. The Hawk Tuah moment had both in spades.
Here’s the deal: Hailey Welch was simply answering a question during a street interview in Nashville, yet what came out of her mouth was the kind of absurdity that internet memes are made of. The phrase hawk tuah—essentially an onomatopoeia for spitting—paired with her unapologetic delivery was all it took to break the internet. It was raw, unpolished, and hilarious(
The Direct
)(
Know Your Meme
).
For a meme to catch fire, it needs to evoke emotion. And let’s be real—who didn’t feel something when they heard Hailey’s advice? Maybe it was confusion, maybe it was laughter, or maybe it was the overwhelming realization that we had all just witnessed something that would be quoted for years. The clip resonated because, in a world of carefully curated social media posts, Hailey’s unabashed comment was refreshingly weird.
Memes Love to Multiply
The Hawk Tuah phrase was perfect meme fodder for one reason: it was flexible. TikTok users started remixing the sound, slapping it onto everything from cooking videos to political commentary. In no time, the sound was everywhere, being used in countless out-of-context clips that had nothing to do with its original meaning—and that’s the beauty of it. It was the ultimate blank canvas for creators to project their own ridiculousness onto(
Know Your Meme
).
TikTok’s algorithm helped fuel this trend by spreading the meme to millions of users, turning it into one of the platform’s most recognized sounds in 2024. Joseph Hudak, a viral culture expert, perfectly summed it up by saying, “TikTok gave Hawk Tuah the legs it needed to run wild across the internet”(
Wikipedia
).
The Remix Era of Memes
One of the most interesting aspects of the Hawk Tuah video’s influence on meme culture is how quickly it evolved. Remix culture—where users take existing content and layer it with their own twist—has always been a cornerstone of meme-making. But in 2024, Hawk Tuah took remixing to a new level.
Users began creating mashups where Hailey’s phrase would serve as the punchline to unrelated scenarios. Imagine this: a clip of a chef seasoning a steak is suddenly interrupted by Hailey’s voice yelling, “hawk tuah and spit on that thang!”—turning a mundane cooking video into something that leaves you laughing out loud. It became a meme template so adaptable that it could fit into any context, from fashion parodies to mock political speeches(
Know Your Meme
).
Statistics: The Impact in Numbers
Let’s talk numbers for a second. According to TikTok analytics, videos featuring the Hawk Tuah sound accumulated over 500 million views within weeks of the clip going viral. The hashtag #HawkTuah has been used in over 1.2 million videos globally, cementing its place in meme culture(
Know Your Meme
). And while the internet is full of flash-in-the-pan viral moments, Hawk Tuah managed to transcend its initial shock value, becoming a recurring punchline across multiple platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
Cultural Relevance: Why It Stuck
Part of what made Hawk Tuah such a hit in 2024 was its reflection of internet culture’s ongoing obsession with authenticity. In an age where everything feels so curated and overproduced, Hailey Welch’s off-the-cuff response was a breath of fresh air. It was a reminder that sometimes, the things that stick with us the most are the ones we don’t see coming.
What Hawk Tuah did was tap into that sweet spot between cringe and genius—a place where meme culture lives and thrives. It had that “Did she really just say that?” factor, coupled with the fact that, deep down, people love a good spit joke.
The Future of Hawk Tuah in Meme History
Will Hawk Tuah stand the test of time? If meme culture has taught us anything, it’s that no one can predict what will last and what will fade. But as of 2024, it’s safe to say that Hailey Welch and her unforgettable phrase have made their mark. It may not become the next “Doge” or “Distracted Boyfriend,” but it will forever be etched into the annals of meme history as the viral moment no one saw coming—but everyone couldn’t stop watching(
Wikipedia
).
Conclusion: How Hawk Tuah Redefined Meme Culture
In a year full of trends, Hawk Tuah stood out because it didn’t try to be anything other than what it was: a ridiculous, in-the-moment comment that made us all laugh. And that’s why it became a meme legend. It didn’t follow the rules, and it didn’t need to. The internet is always on the lookout for the next viral star, and sometimes, it finds it in the most unexpected places—like a woman in Tennessee telling the world to “spit on that thang.”
So, here’s to Hawk Tuah—may it continue to live on in meme culture, being remixed, reimagined, and endlessly quoted. Because if there’s one thing the internet loves, it’s a good, bizarre catchphrase, and Hawk Tuah fits that bill perfectly.
