Please Say Sike (SpongeBob)

About

Please Say Sike is a reaction and image macro meme of SpongeBob SquarePants standing in a hallway paired with the catchphrase "please say sike," which is a similar iteration of the Say Sike Right Now meme. The format was popularized in May 2020 and is typically used to express a certain level of shock or surprise at information or opinions shared online, essentially meaning that the user hopes it would just be a joke.

Origin

On May 7th, 2020, the earliest known post^[1] of the "please say sike" meme featuring SpongeBob SquarePants in a hallway was uploaded on the Imgflip website by an unknown user (shown below).

The still image used for the meme comes from the episode "Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost" from season one, which aired on October 2nd, 1999. A clip of the scene was posted to YouTube^[2] on January 20th, 2020, by user @admiralshackleford, amassing roughly 3,100 views and 112 likes in three years (seen below).

Spread

The SpongeBob still image started to be used as a reaction image on X / Twitter and other social media platforms over the following years, primarily in 2023. For example, on October 19th, 2023, Imgflip^[3] user LeanderBotin posted the image paired with the all-caps text "WHEN I HEAR A DOOR KNOCKING NOISE BUT IM HOME ALONE." The image (shown below, left) received roughly 47 views in three weeks.

On June 25th, X^[4] user @Akasukiane04 posted the meme to express her reaction to the final episode of their favorite anime series. The post (shown below, right) garnered more than 378 likes and 37 retweets in six months.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References