There’s something magical—and a little ridiculous—about how the internet can take one person’s off-the-cuff comment and turn it into a global sensation. Hailey Welch, better known as the “Hawk Tuah Girl,” was minding her own business, navigating a night out on Broadway Street in Nashville, when a street interviewer asked her a cheeky question. Her now-infamous reply, “You gotta give him that hawk tuah and spit on that thang!”, quickly spiraled into a viral meme that the internet couldn’t resist.
Let’s face it: without memes, Welch’s viral moment would’ve probably fizzled out as just another weird interview clip. Instead, the internet’s meme-making machine turned her into a bona fide sensation, and today we’re going to unpack how that happened and why memes hold the power to make—or break—a viral star.
The Meme Machine: How One Clip Became a Movement
First things first: what exactly is it about Hawk Tuah that made it so ripe for meme culture? The phrase itself is absurd in a way that only the internet can truly appreciate. It’s crass but oddly specific, with just enough Southern charm to keep people engaged. If you were looking for a textbook case of “WTF?” internet content, this would be it.
The initial video spread like wildfire, but the memes took it to the next level. TikTok, the wild west of meme culture, had a field day. Users jumped on the Hawk Tuah bandwagon, creating remixes, duets, and parodies. In fact, a report from Social Media Today reveals that videos related to the Hawk Tuah phrase have garnered over 100 million views on TikTok (Peoplemag). For perspective, that’s the equivalent of every person in Canada and Australia watching it twice—and then some.
Memes work because they’re adaptable, and the Hawk Tuah moment fit perfectly into that mold. Whether it was set to music, reimagined with cartoon characters, or spliced into other viral trends, the phrase found new life with each meme. That constant reinvention is the key to keeping a viral moment alive in the fleeting attention span of the internet.
The Psychology of Viral Memes: Why We Can’t Look Away
There’s something almost primal about our collective obsession with memes. Experts argue that memes work because they tap into our emotions—whether it’s humor, shock, or just plain confusion. According to Dr. Susan Blackmore, a leading scholar on memes, “Memes are like viruses—they replicate by tapping into our emotions and spreading from one person to the next, evolving along the way.” Welch’s Hawk Tuah meme hit all the right emotional buttons: it’s funny, unexpected, and slightly gross in a way that makes you laugh and cringe at the same time (VT).
Psychologically speaking, people love to feel part of an inside joke. When you share or remix a meme, you’re taking part in a cultural conversation, even if that conversation revolves around something as absurd as projectile spit. Welch’s viral moment became a meme precisely because it felt like the kind of thing you’d repeat to your friends just to see their reaction.
Memes as Marketing: Turning Viral Moments into Global Fame
If you think Hawk Tuah was just about internet laughs, think again. Memes have become serious business, and Welch—knowingly or not—turned her viral moment into a cash cow. Within weeks of the clip going viral, Welch had trademarked the phrase and launched a successful line of merchandise. Rolling Stone reported that Welch earned over $65,000 in merchandise sales (Peoplemag), proving that meme fame can translate directly into financial success if handled well.
It’s not just about selling t-shirts and mugs, though. The meme opened doors for Welch that no amount of TikTok followers could. From interviews and podcast appearances to performing with country music star Zach Bryan, Welch has turned her 15 minutes of internet fame into a full-fledged career. And memes played a huge role in keeping her relevant.
Memes give viral stars a second life. Instead of fading into internet obscurity after the original video loses traction, the constant creation of new meme content keeps the person behind it relevant. Welch may have just been another viral flash in the pan if not for the meme culture that continued to breathe new life into her moment.
The Future of Fame: Memes as the New Celebrity Currency
In today’s social media-driven world, memes have become a kind of cultural currency. The influencers who “make it” are often those who can lean into the chaos, embracing their meme status with open arms. The days of carefully curated Instagram feeds and meticulously edited YouTube videos are giving way to raw, unpredictable content. And Welch is living proof that sometimes, the messier, the better.
Experts from Influencer Marketing Hub state that over 70% of young people believe that viral fame is achievable through meme culture (VT). In other words, being turned into a meme is no longer something to avoid—it’s something to aspire to. If you can ride the meme wave long enough, like Welch has, it can lead to more than just internet fame; it can lead to real-world opportunities.
Final Thoughts: From Memes to Mainstream
The internet has a strange way of taking the most random, unexpected moments and turning them into worldwide phenomena. Welch’s journey from an innocent Nashville night out to a global sensation is the perfect example of how memes can elevate a viral moment into something bigger. Memes didn’t just make the Hawk Tuah moment funny—they made it stick. They ensured that Welch’s wild night in Nashville would be remembered by millions of people around the world.
So, the next time you’re out on the town and someone shoves a microphone in your face, remember: one absurd, off-the-cuff comment might just be your ticket to meme stardom. Just ask Hailey Welch—she’s still riding that wave, and who knows where it’ll take her next.
