Instagram users who have been active in the last 24 hours have most likely observed the phrase, “Nah he tweakin,” in the comment sections of many August 25th and 26th posts. In fact, the phrase is so prevalent that it has sparked site-wide debate over the phrase’s meaning and origin. According to Crowdtangle via BBC News, “Nah he tweakin” has generated more than 11 million public interactions on Instagram, leaving many (including Instagram workers themselves) scratching their heads. In a tweet seen below, Instagram Comms posted, “Yeah we tweakin, but only a little bit. We’re aware that some people are having issues loading their comments (we’re fixing that) and that some are seeing a bunch of comments saying “nah he tweakin” (what is that?) More soon!”
Some have suggested that bots are responsible for accelerating the lightening-fast spread of the humorous phrase, but the BBC reported that its misinformation team found that it is actually real people, “just having a laugh.”
The phrase “Nah he tweakin” which basically means “He is crazy,” originated from Lil Nas X who first wrote the viral series of words in the comment section of a RapTV Instagram post in regards to Tony Hawk’s release of 500 limited edition skateboards infused with paint made from his own blood. Lil Nas X received enormous pushback when he used a publicity technique of a similar nature, painting his blood on the soles of custom made Nike Air Max 97’s (dubbed Satan shoes) in his music video for the song “Montero.” Nike even pursued legal action against the rapper.
According to the BBC, reaction to the Tony Hawk skateboards has been positive which apparently irritated Lil Nas X to the point of going on a Twitter rant and coining the now infamous phrase “Nah he tweakin” on Instagram.
Tony Hawk has not responded publicly.
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