It’s usually hype on the first click—pure eyeballs chasing a funny frame. The “truth” only lands if the meme hits a real feeling and sticks around long enough for people to quote it in their own lives. So the crowd can turn a joke into a shorthand for something deeper, but only if it resonates beyond the first wave of laughs. Otherwise, it’s just a temporary pop‑in that disappears when the feed moves on.