The Fog is Coming is a catchphrase and series of memes, including image macros, copypasta and TikTok videos that warn viewers of an ominous, assumedly dangerous fog is on the way, often offering a specific date and GPS location of where said fog is set to land.
The phrase is also used in memes throughout social media to signify the arrival of some more vague, unknown foreboding event, rather than a literal fog. The meme started in a November 2021 tweet and spread throughout social media, including Instagram and TikTok, starting in 2022.
Where did ‘The Fog is Coming’ come from?
The Fog is Coming first appeared on the internet on November 22nd, 2021 on Twitter by user @Senn_Spud, who posted a joke about some ominous all-consuming fog. The tweet read, “So funny when athletes sign these long contracts. Oh you’re gonna be playing for the Yankees in 2031? Buddy the fog is gonna consume us in 2027. The fog is coming. The fog is coming. The fog is coming.” The tweet received over 22k likes and 2.3k retweets.
Spread of The Fog is Coming copypasta
Over the following months, the Fog is Coming copypasta era was born, with the original tweet being screenshotted and posted to Instagram accounts including, but not limited to, meaningful_incellectuals, spooky.miller and spicydeepfriedmemesv3. The reposts gained over 2.6k, 25k, and 61k likes respectively. These copypasta posts helped the phrase to grow its mystery and sinister nature.
Meme spread
The meme appeared on TikTok on January 1st, 2022 when TikToker @caleb_lib posted a video featuring predictions for 2022 via on-screen text. The majority of the predictions alluded to “the fog” coming. The video saw over 1.4 million views in two months.
@caleb_lib #fyp ♬ phantom of the elmo – .
The TikTok spread continued on February 9th, when TikToker @nationalism6012 posted a video concerning the fog that received over 157k views in a month.
@lainputer #SoFiBreakUpChallenge #BbStyleFearlessly #MACChallengeAccepted #meme #thefog #schizophrenic #iaminyourwalls ♬ Space Trip Steps …for Meteor Herd – SEGA / Tomoya Ohtani
Two days later, @trashcanpaul posted a version of the meme that predicted the fog would be coming on August 23rd, 2022. The clip received over 30k views.
@trashcanpaul The fog is coming #meme #thefog #prepare #schizo #fyp #viral #renandstimpy #uncanny #horror ♬ C418 Key – 303
On February 13th, @trashcanpaul took to Instagram, posting a version of the Kanye Holding Notepad meme featuring the phrase “the Fog is Coming” written on it. The post gained over 30k likes over a few weeks.
The next day, @swesam posted a TikTok regarding the fog, providing a location and date prediction. The post received 70k views in just under a month.
@sewsam The fog is coming. be warned #fog #schizopost #leanlover #ilovelean #fyp #sewsam #h ♬ Alright – Kendrick Lamar
A couple of weeks later, on March 1st, @crackrat27 posted a video on TikTok saying he bought fog survival equipment. The TikTok garnered 161k views in a week.
@crackrat27 The fog is coming
♬ original sound crackrat27
2023 resurgence
The meme received something of a revival In early 2023, with memes about the fog growing in popularity on TikTok and Instagram. For instance, on January 18th, 2023, YouTuber mr giggler posted a video of Skitzy_VA saying “the Fog is Coming,” seemingly from a cameo video, which garnered over 190k views in a month.
A week-and-change later on January 29th, 2023, @thefogiscoming15may2023 posted an edit on TikTok using the Skitzy_VA clip, combined with a clip of MidgetMafiaOG saying the phrase on May 15th, 2023. The video received over 1.1 million views in a week. (It has since been removed.) A few days later, on February 3rd, TikToker @ern..x posted a similar edit which received over 3.9 million views in just a few days.
@ern..x the fog is coming💀#mrbeast #mrbeat #mrbeastphonk #thefogiscoming #viral #edit #fypシ #fyp #foryou #tiktok #bqwkpp #horrortok #scared ♬ orijinal ses – ?
Is ‘The Fog is Coming’ real or fake?
Fake, at least in terms of any literal fog being referred to. Rather, the phrase is used to signify the coming of some vague, foreboding event that could be anything, really. In that regard, the meme could be viewed as having the potential for being “real.” And obviously, fog as a weather phenomenon is real.
Meme examples
More copypasta memes:
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- ‘Curse you Bayle!’: Elden Ring speech becomes new copypasta
- The Vaporeon meme that divided Pokémon fans
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