If you’re on TikTok, there’s a high chance your For You page has recently experienced an uptick in videos featuring a sad hamster, but what does it mean?
The trend has been dubbed the “sad hamster meme” and is one of the latest CapCut creations to go viral. CapCut and TikTok come from the same creators, making the video editing app a primary option for TikTok users. One feature of CapCut is the ability to create and use templates, allowing users to superimpose a character or TV show/film clip onto any background. Several of these templates have gone viral on TikTok before, such as with the “confused dog meme” and “screaming cat meme.”
However, a confused dog and an angry cat aren’t as ambiguous as the bug-eyed hamster appearing on everyone’s FYP to the backdrop of a sad violin tune.
What is the sad hamster meme?
The sad hamster meme is believed to have actually originated on X, with user @Doguindolink posting an uncaptioned picture of the hamster with huge eyes and pairing it with Richard Myhill’s instrumental song “Woe Is Me!” Two days after the meme was posted on X, schmetterling471 uploaded it on TikTok and created the “sad hamster meme” sound for other users to utilize.
It didn’t take long for the image to become a CapCut template and to go viral as users began creating backgrounds and captions for the sad-looking hamster. Little is known about the hamster in the photo, but the music is bound to sound familiar to some users. This is because Spongebob Squarepants uses “Woe is Me!” in the episode where Mr. Crabs plays the song on the world’s smallest violin.
Given that it’s a sad hamster, some users have used the meme to reflect a reaction to a sad or overwhelming situation. However, most users have interpreted it as the new “I’m just a baby” meme. Since the hamster looks so small and innocent, many have used it to describe themselves as childlike and delicate or to excuse their actions or shortcomings. For example, in response to being told something like “Don’t waste money on nails” or “You already have enough LEGO sets,” the user will show themselves as the little sad hamster at the nail salon or clutching LEGOs at the store. You can’t expect them to stick to instructions or get mad at them when they’re just a little sad hamster!
Ultimately, what the high popularity of the “I’m just a baby” and sad hamster trends seem to reveal is that adulting is very hard, and we can all relate to sometimes just falling back on the excuse that we’re “smol” to justify another Target run and not taking care of our check engine light.
(featured image: Houseofmaeli/thekaiyaya/cor3vs/TikTok)
