By Francis De la Fuente, Staff Writer
For the past year or so, two numbers have plagued the minds of students and teachers worldwide: Six. Seven. The hand motions, the inflection, the numbers, it seems that nowadays it’s nigh impossible to go a day without hearing them. But why? How did it come to be like this? Where did it even come from? And how does it impact us?
The 67 trend has been a large outlier from its compatriots in the modern-day pop culture sphere. Trends that started around the same time as the 67 meme, such as “I’m Just a Chill Guy” and “Very demure, very mindful,” have largely fallen out of relevance. Yet 67 seems to be more popular and rampant throughout everyday life than it ever was in 2024. The 67 meme seems to be outlasting its fellow memes like the “Italian Brainrot” subculture and the Labubu craze. In the modern day, it’s highly unusual to have a meme that lasts or stays funny for more than a month, so how has 67 survived for such a long time?
The 67 meme originated in late 2024, originating from viral clips of the NBA player LaMelo Ball, who would receive highlights for his performance that often included mention of his height, being 6 feet 7 inches tall. Later, the rapper Skrilla would produce the song, “Doot Doot (6 7)”, in which he raps “6 7”, which was then used in viral clips of LaMelo Ball. Like most memes that have become popular since the rise of short-form content, such as TikToks, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, they have only remained relevant for about a month.
However, since the spring of last year, the meme has gained a large resurgence in its cultural relevance thanks to Maverick Trevillian, who, in a viral video clip, reacted to the score of a basketball game he was attending with his now-signature hand emotes, chanting the accursed numbers now stuck in everyone’s heads.
With the origins of 67 having gone from being niche, specifically for basketball, to becoming really versatile, applying to anything that can be counted, it’s no wonder 67 has become as viral as it is. According to a survey conducted through the Moreau students and staff, when individuals first experienced the meme, an overwhelming majority of students answered that they first experienced it through social media: TikTok, Instagram, etc. Those spending less time online answered that they first heard it through friends or family. It’s gotten so viral that even our teachers have those numbers stuck in their heads.
Science teacher Michael Tobler recalled using the meme to connect with students in class: “I think I may have said it as part of class and several students parroted it, signaling that I had said something pertinent to the current zeitgeist.”
Additionally, Assistant Principal of Instruction Kristin Hannon said, “My Kindergartener came home from school saying it, and he won’t stop.”
When polled on how the Mariner community feels about 67 on a scale of 1-10, 1 being hating it and 10 being loving. 28.9 percent of the votes cast in this question were of negative opinions towards 67– answers ranging from 1-4. 11.5 percent of voters felt neutral about 67, with 30 mariners responding with 5. Finally, 59.2 percent of voters felt positively about 67, with 155 mariners responding within the range of 6-10. Frustratingly enough, the 2nd and 3rd most popular answers to this question were that voters felt a 6 or 7 out of 10 for 67, respectively.
The last part of the poll questioned Mariners on how much longer it would last in terms of relevance or hilarity. As one might expect, many responses to this question came in the form of 67 [units of time], like Science teacher Breanna Herrera, who replied, “About 6 to 7 more years lol.”
Some were more conservative in their estimations, like counselor Jon Aguilar, who said “Until January (Hopefully),” and Spanish teacher Ana Patterson and the math department’s Thomas Trang, who both estimated around one to two months.
Meanwhile, an anonymous Mariner replied, “Looking back to the other number-related memes such as ’21,’ I believe 67 will have the same lifespan of 2-3 years or last till the end of the generation/when the kids who say this meme grow up.”
All of this data demonstrates how social media has an inescapable grasp that reaches almost everyone on the planet. From the adults riding out the rest of their lives to the students and children who eagerly await tomorrow, it’s tough to escape social media and what’s trending online nowadays. It’s gotten to the point where we act, either knowingly or unknowingly, in ways that resemble hivemind-like behavior. Just think about how the average math class in 2025 reacts when the numbers 6 and 7 appear together.
While the meme may be losing steam as each day passes, it serves as a good reminder that social media and online culture shouldn’t be the only things that fill a person’s head. But what do I know? With basketball season on the horizon, giving much more chances for the scoreboard to say 6-7, maybe the meme will get its 3rd resurrection on the social media landscape, and at this point? It might just last forever.
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