WE all know the Awkward Party meme, because it’s an image that truly resonates with us all.
There’s never been an image that perfectly sums up exactly how it feels embarrass yourself, be it by dancing or saying something you shouldn’t have, in front of others.
The viral image features loads of young party-goers staring at the camera and giving a dirty look whilst holding the iconic red party cups.
It’s one of the golden memes that have been in circulation for over a decade – and most of us probably assumed it was probably just a stock image.
But according to one person who claimed to be a part of the legendary snap, that’s not the case – and there’s an entirely different story behind the Awkward Party meme.
Now, more than ten years later, Avery Wagner (@itsaverywagner) – the girl with the black tank top and tanned skin – has revealed what really happened when the photo was taken.
read more on social media
“I’m going to tell you the backstory of how this whole thing came to be,” said Avery, now 33.
“So the year was 2012, which is maybe the most insane part about this entire thing,” the US-based small business owner said in the viral-video.
“We were at the University of Arizona and I was a sophomore in college […] – I think I was 19 or 20 at the time.”
In the clip, the now 33-year-old explained that she was pals with Jimmy Tatro, who was a well-known YouTuber at the time, as well as Christian Pierce who worked alongside Jimmy.
According to Avery, this iconic meme came from a video that the two had written together, titled Don’t Stop The Music.
Posted 13 years ago, the clip is still available on YouTube and it’s a sketch about awkward social interactions at an American house party, and how that if the music ended you’d overhear the most bizarre things.
The Jimmy character is talking to his mate about how a doctor wanted to shove a thermometer up his bum.
Then, someone unplugs the music at the party and out of context the character says to another lad: “You can stick that thing in my mouth all you want but don’t stick it up my a***hole.”
Because the music’s stopped the whole party hears and looks around – and this is how the iconic meme was born.
“We were not creating content – we were filming a YouTube. That specific reaction was a part of the punchline in the YouTube video,” explained Avery.
“The thumbnail from YouTube turned into what you know today,” she told her followers.
Uploaded three days ago, the clip – just like the meme – has taken the internet by storm, racking up an astronomical 2.6million views.
“I feel like i’m meeting a celebrity,” joked one viewer.
“I forget people in pictures are real people,” another commented.
“Now I can sleep peacefully knowing I have context to this infamous meme,” a third chuckled.
“Omg you’re actually an icon,” a fourth chimed in.
