There's a subreddit called 'Beetlejuicing' and I have to admit, upon hearing the name, I thought it was some sort of twisted community dedicated to tormenting insects. Thankfully, I was wrong.
According to internet culture encyclopedia Know Your Meme, the term actually describes a commenting phenomenon observed online when someone replies to a post or comment with a username that is contextually relevant to the topic of the discussion at hand.
It sounds clunky, but believe me, it's much simpler and funnier in practice. Especially when it occurs by coincidence and the commenter is unaware of the connection. So continue scrolling and check out our favorite posts on the subreddit!
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Me Too
Tears Of Joy
Probably the earliest somewhat official mention of the term occurred on April 4th, 2010, on Urban Dictionary, when its user tankedgirl submitted an entry for "beetlejuiced," defining it as a phenomenon that occurs when a person appears after they have been mentioned several times in conversation.
The earliest known use of "beetlejuicing" in reference to a thread was posted in the r/AskReddit subreddit on January 13th, 2013. There, Redditor bigfrank84 replied to a comment containing the name "Big Frank," to which another Redditor, tynosaur, responded "One of the best instances of Beetlejuicing I've ever seen."
Beep Beep!
Im So Happy For Them
This Was His First Comment In Over A Year
The word itself is derived from the 1988 American horror comedy film Beetlejuice.
It has a scene where the titular ghost explains to the protagonist Lydia Deetz that she can summon him anytime by repeating his name three times.
"I can't help you from this side, but here's how we do it. So simple. Say my name three times," the ghost says. "That's all. I'll be all yours. Then I'll bring you over here in style."
True Beetlejuicing
Someone Should Probably Get Them Off Of The Floor
Balloon Cop
Obama’s Tie
The subreddit 'Beetlejuicing' was created on the same day tynosaur made the aforementioned comment.
In the nearly decade that has passed since then, it has grown into a community of 469K members and that number puts it among the top 1% of subreddits.
Busted
Found On Twitter
In A Thread About Ridiculous Rules From Your Childhood
Found In An R/Askreddit Post About Go-To Never-Fail Jokes - 6 Yr Old Account
But self-reference is spread far beyond internet comments. For instance, a picture could be considered self-referential if it contains a copy of itself and a piece of literature could be considered self-referential if it includes a reference to the work itself.
Well Well Well
MUSTARD (Story time! Once I covered a sandwich in mustard with my sister and I was going to throw it away, but my dad made me eat it. But at least I didn't waste food THAT much that day :D)
Jack Grey
Jack White looks like Johnny Depp and Gary Oldman had a baby :O
I Would Trust Them
Just Your Own Personal Friendly Neighbourhood FBI Agent
In philosophy, self-reference is primarily studied in the context of language and is to a large extent centered around paradoxes.
A paradox is a seemingly sound piece of reasoning based on apparently true assumptions that leads to a contradiction. One of the most popular examples is the liar sentence: "This sentence is not true."
Found This Gem A While Ago
Kobe Can’t Relate
Mortal Womat
Found Over On /R/Funny
Self-reference within language is not only a subject of philosophy but also a field of individual interest in mathematics and computer science, in particular in relation to the foundations of these sciences.
However, is there anything that makes a concept come to life more vividly than silly internet jokes?
I’m Sorry
Twitter Beetlejuicing
Spider With Some Self Confidence
I've Seen Everyone Screenshoting Matthew, Where Is Not-Matthew Love?
Became A Superhero 3 Years Ago
Flip On The Tele
Do I Get A Free Tesla?
:(
Don't mind me, just covering an akward comment... What's your favorite fruit guys?
The Banana Has Spoken
Emo Emu
The Governator
The Original
Horngus
[redacted]
Doubling Up
Spelling Genius
Man Finds Lost Hat
Tooth Fairy
i'm 39 and still have 2 baby teeth too! there's no adult teeth under 'em apparently so my dentist says i might lose them, might not... tooth fairy is gonna be waiting a while......
7 Year
Is Off-Site Beetlejuicing Ok?
Nice
I Just Hope This Is Valid
Watch Out For Sarah
Dad?
Stolen From Instagram
Pretty Sure This Counts
Chemistry Joke
Harvard Scholarship
You'll Never Make The Cat Talk
Niiiiiiiiiii-Sannnnnnnn
From The Worst Names Thread
Replace Heaven With Kevin In A Song Lyric
Nixon Shares His Signature One More Time
His Time Has Come
2 Year Account
Found On A Very Old Post
This One Belongs In A Museum
Bready Cheese
Classy
Sinking With The Ship
On A Post On Askreddit About What Movie You Watched Through Hoping It Would Get Better. (Christopher Paoilini Wrote The Book The Movie Was Based On)
Well Damn
Found One In The Wild
Mike
Pizza Hut App
Does anybody think that the pizza hut logo in the top left looks like lip?
T'is I, Son Of Q!
Perfection!
Poor Limp Bizkit Superfan :(
Divinyls. I had a neighbor who played "I touch myself" on loop with her windows open and full blast for close to 6 weeks. The song came out in November and she hated everything to do with Christmas so she was doing it purely out of spite at another Jesus loving neighbor who decorated their yard. I'm a pacifistic but that's the closest I've ever come to reaching out and touching someone else in anger.
Don't Do Meth Kids
Milhouse Is Not A Meme
Even R/Dadjokes Got It Going On
Classic Dadjoke
It would be worth it for one glorious year to name your kid a number. We'd go back and forth with this for hours :-D
Finally Found One
How's your hammer hanging? It could still work if she works in construction.
Hate That Guy
Didnt Even Know That Association Existed
Try Again
........ And I missed the joke before I replied. I'll bow my head out peacefully 😞.
What
Kitchen Nightmares Never Ceases To Impress Me
Poor FBI Agent
Mail them to Havasupai Tribe, P. O. Box 10, Supai, Arizona 86435. First, this post office is at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and the mail is only delivered weekly by mule. Second, its a federal offense to interfere with the mail. If there's nothing suspicious about an envelope with no return address that has the keys and a note inside and says "Hold these keys until Tuesday. I''m playing a prank and I'll pay you $50 to hold them until we come pick them up", there is no reason for the FBI to ever get involved. Third, the Havasupai are a self governing people and the FBI has no jurisdiction. Lastly, I get a nice trip to go get my keys back and I can give the tribe a surprise check for $1 million when I show up.
Thank You Boomer, Very Noble
Trevor Stepping In With A 7 Year Old Account
Tbh Hey Is Really Cute
We Meet Again
Found On R/Showerthoughts
The word you might be looking for is "Prochatnik" - someone who deals in stolen cats.
Nikhil Is Saying Something
And The Swag Master Returns!
Reddit Loves A Good Foot
@realdonaldtrump
Albert
Butterfly Poon
Is this not largely people making up accounts with appropriate names to complete the joke, rather than the other way round?
Is this not largely people making up accounts with appropriate names to complete the joke, rather than the other way round?