got the assignment meme

The 'I Understood The Assignment' TikTok Audio Explained

A social media trend has reached peak popularity whenever brands start participating in it; by the time junior creatives and social media interns finish pitching and explaining a trend for approval, it's probably already been seen on every platform. So, with that in mind, it should be easy to backtrack the timeline of a trend to learn more about it when a brand joins in on the fun. One glaring exception is the Duolingo Owl — that's one up-to-date bird.

McDonalds' "I understood the assignment" era on Twitter began in the second half of 2021. So did  Starbucks '. With a calculation based on conjecture, the trend can be traced back to the beginning of 2021. We looked to Know Your Meme for confirmation, and it turns out we were right. This is what high school teachers meant when they said that we'd use math after graduating.

This particular phrase has garnered extreme attention across all social media platforms. On TikTok , videos submitted under the "I understood the assignment" hashtag have received more than 600 million views; an excess of 30,000 posts wear it on Instagram . But what does it mean? And why is there an entire song dedicated to it? Read on to learn more.

The 'I understood the assignment' trend has been used by celebrities

How was the "I understood the assignment" trend created? In March 2021, a Twitter user @thering26 posted stills of Uma Thurman in numerous acting roles. "Uma Thurman will always understand the assignment," the accompanying text read. Soon, the phrase and meme format spread across Twitter like wildfire; it is used to describe someone who knows how to get the job done (via Know Your Meme ). The meme format is particularly popular for talking about actors who can pull off very different roles with top-notch acting.

A few months later, artist Tay Money put a new spin on the trend. She released a song that claimed she understood " The Assignment ." The artist herself used a part of the song that said "I understood the assignment" on TikTok. This led to a trend of people posting accomplishments and stories that proved that they knew what was expected of them and went above and beyond (via Know Your Meme ). 

Even celebrities hopped on the trend. Taylor Swift used it to promote "All Too Well" (via YouTube ) and basically immortalized the phrase. There are currently around 250 million views on the "the assignment" hashtag on TikTok . It also led to the creation of another relatable sound that remixes Tay Money's song with Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde" saying, " Actually, I wasn't aware that we had an assignment ." And that's how one meme took over the internet. 

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TikTok explores what it truly means to 'understand the assignment'

You've probably seen the phrase "understood the assignment" used to death on social media. Here's why everyone is saying it. The slang term is a popular way to praise someone who is going above and beyond to do a good job. According to Urban Dictionary, "understood the assignment" means, "a phrase used when someone is giving it 110% ... Whether it’s what they’re doing, what they’re wearing, someone who is really on top of their s***" . In the Twitter trend, users pay tribute to their favorite actors and actresses who've been able to pull off a slew of eclectic roles. TikTok tends to go along with Urban Dictionary's definition, rather than focusing on celebrities

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Bravo: 10 "they understood the assignment" memes that are spot on.

Bravo fans have compiled their own "understood the assignment" memes that perfectly detail why their favorite Bravolebrity gave them life.

Earlier this year, a meme now known as the "understood the assignment" meme emerged and has quickly become Bravo fans' go-to when talking about their favorite reality TV shows or Bravolebrities. It's a way of complimenting a person for the way they handled themselves during the season that made the series even better. Without these Bravolebrities who understood their job as a reality TV star, the series wouldn't shine as brightly.

RELATED: 10 Of The Best The Real Housewives Memes

Thanks to Twitter,  fans have compiled their own "understood the assignment" memes that perfectly detail why the Bravolebrity or show in question gave them life. From  The Real Housewives of Atlanta to  Family Karma ,  these stars of these shows understood the assignment in the best way possible.

Nene Leakes Always Understood What Was Needed Of Her

Nene Leakes had a hard ending on  The Real Housewives of Atlanta, but her legacy lives on in every Bravo fan. While her fashion and her looks were always glamorous, it was Nene's quotes that made their way into countless memes , GIFs, and beyond. Sometimes, Nene didn't even need to say anything when drama erupted. Her facial expressions were so expressive that viewers and friends knew exactly how she felt about it.

Family Karma Is Underrated

Family Karma  premiered in 2020 and showed the complex lives of Indian-Americans living in the South Florida region. The first season was a great introduction to the group's lives and customs, but it was the show's second season that really gave the show a bigger following. It's now one of the best reality TV shows for Bravo fans.

RELATED: The 11 Best Bravo Reality Shows, Ranked

Fans adore Vishal Parvani because he always understands the assignment. He's handsome, he's humorous, and he knows when to add the charm for TV. His unique relationship with his fiance also creates great TV.

Ramona Is A Housewives Icon

It doesn't get better than  Real Housewives of New York 's   Ramona Singer. There are things she's done since season 1 of the franchise, moments Ramona can never live down and will follow her throughout her career with Bravo. As bothersome as she can be at times, and as cruel as she can be to her best friend Sonja Morgan, Ramona understands every assignment she's given without even realizing it. That's the beauty of Ramona Singer. From her love of pinot grigio to that epic catwalk during Fashion Week, Ramona knows all.

Mama Joyce Knows When To Turn It On

Mama Joyce is Kandi Burruss's mother on  RHOA . The two women have a complicated relationship at times. Mama Joyce is opinionated and occasionally aggressive. When she has something to say, she says it. In a lot of ways, even though Mama Joyce isn't an official cast member, she's her own Housewife since she brings the giggles and drama with her in most scenes.

RELATED: Every RHOA OG Housewife & Their Most Iconic Scene

Mama Joyce almost has as many iconic scenes as Kandi, which means she understood the assignment she was given. When a person is on reality TV, they have to bring it all.

Lucy Lucy Apple Juice Gave RHOBH A Storyline

There are times when certain seasons of  The Real Housewives are bland or not as entertaining as others. When this happens, the women (or production) make a big deal out of small situations. A great example of this occurred is in season 9: the infamous Puppygate storyline.

While  Real Housewives of Beverly Hills  fans know the entire situation revolving around Lisa Vanderpump's dog foundation and Dorit's shocking decision to rehome a dog she rescued, the real star of the situation was the dog in question: Lucy Lucy Apple Juice. Dorit claimed the dog bit and scratched her husband and their children, giving them no choice but to rehome the dog. Who knew that this incident would then lead to an ongoing storyline that would run throughout the entire season?

Eboni K. Williams Deserves Her Apple

There are some new Real Housewives cast members who don't necessarily mesh well with the rest of the cast, or they're not fit for reality TV. But Eboni K. Williams is not that girl. The OG Housewives know what's needed to make the season a good one, and it looks like Eboni got the memo. She is a woman who has earned her apple for  RHONY and has made a huge, positive difference in the series. As the series' first Black cast member,  RHONY needed Eboni, and she understood the assignment.

Dorit Brings The Sass Without Realizing It

When Sutton joined  RHOBH , she started as a friend of the series, slowly dipping her toes in the  Real Housewives pond. By her second season, she was promoted to holding a diamond and is now an official cast member. However, the Sutton viewers see in her second season is a touch different than who they met in her first season. She's a little more outspoken nowadays and isn't afraid to cause conflict. Her expensive lifestyle, though, has forced her to say some outrageous (albeit hilarious) things on Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills , like when she claimed she'd never heard of Rhianna's Fenty clothing line.

Amber Didn't Last Long But She Knew The Drill

Amber Marchese made her entrance in the  Real Housewives of New Jersey   franchise in season 6 and quickly became one of the most controversial Real Housewives cast members . While she and Teresa Giudice were on good terms, she had some words for her old friend Melissa Gorga. To make matters worse, Amber's husband, James, stirred the pot constantly with his problematic points of view and hurtful words to his fellow RHONJ  husbands. And while Amber lasted only one season, she understood the assignment of a reality TV star.

Jacqueline Laurita: An OG Legend

Some of the best seasons of  The Real Housewives of New Jersey were the early ones in which Jacqueline Laurita was a cast member. Due to her family relationships with Caroline and Chris and her friendship with Teresa, there was a lot to unfold here. Eventually, Jacqueline's time on the show came to a close, but she left the series swinging, clearly understanding the assignment.

Welcome To Potomac, Mia

Mia Thornton is the newest cast member on  Real Housewives Of Potomac . With season 6 underway, fans are loving everything Mia has brought to the table and adores Bravo for signing her onto the cast. Right off the bat, Mia has stood up for herself against the women and has proven that she's strong enough to be an official member of  RHOP . Fans can agree that as of now, Mia understands the assignment.

NEXT:  Every Season Of The Real Housewives Of Potomac, Ranked

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What is this

What is this | When the teacher hands you a huge assignment the day before it's due: | image tagged in gifs,school,assignment,relatable memes,memes,funny | made w/ Imgflip video-to-gif maker

Painfully true

Drake Hotline Bling

I always forget those assignments

Did not Complete Assignment

this is true

sh*tpost meme on school assignment

like teach us something other than the pythagorean theorem and slope-intercept form

Trashcan | ME WHEN I ASK THE TEACHER TO OPEN HIS MOUTH, SINCE HE TOLD ME TO PUT MY ASSIGNMENT IN THE TRASHCAN | image tagged in gifs,assignment | made w/ Imgflip video-to-gif maker

way ahead of you

Welp I guess it's time to download the mobile app

I understand nothing I read

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Understood the Assignment

“Understood the assignment" is a phrase that is used to acknowledge someone who has done an exceptional job or exceeded expectations. 

What does "Understood the Assignment" mean on social media?

The phrase has become popular on social media and in popular culture and is often used to praise someone who is giving it their all whether that’s with their achievements, what they’re wearing or what they’re doing more generally. 

For example, if someone shows up to the party in a great outfit in this context, saying they “Understood the assignment” means that the person is at the top of their game and pulled up in a great look. 

The phrase can also be used sarcastically to criticize someone who has failed to meet expectations or has done a poor job. Overall, "Understood the assignment" is a phrase that is used to acknowledge someone's efforts or accomplishments and has become a popular way to express praise or criticism in slang.

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What Does Understood The Assignment Mean? – Meaning, Uses and More

What Does Understood The Assignment Mean?

The slang phrase understood the assignment is used to praise someone who goes above and beyond or consistently performs well. It can be applied in various situations, such as complimenting someone’s work, outfit, or performance. The phrase gained popularity in 2021, particularly on social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter. The origins of “understood the assignment” are unclear, but it became more widely known after American rapper Tay Money released a song titled “The Assignment” in October 2021. The phrase went viral on Twitter, with users using it to pay tribute to their favorite actors and actresses who excel in their roles. Here are some examples of how to use the phrase “understood the assignment”:

• “Your presentation was amazing! You really understood the assignment.”
• “That outfit is fire! You totally understood the assignment.”
• “I told my son to clean his room, and he really understood the assignment. It’s spotless!”
• “That new employee really understood the assignment. She’s already making a big impact on the team.”
• “I’m not sure if I understood the assignment for this project. Can you give me some more guidance?”

The phrase “understood the assignment” is a fun and playful way to praise someone for their exceptional work or effort. It can be used sincerely or sarcastically, depending on the context.

What Does Understood The Assignment Mean From a Girl?

When a girl uses the phrase “understood the assignment,” she typically means the same thing as everyone else. It is a way to praise someone for going above and beyond or consistently performing well. Girls use it in various situations, such as complimenting someone’s work, outfit, or performance.

Here are some key points to consider:

• Specific meaning from a girl : Girls use the phrase “understood the assignment” to acknowledge and praise someone’s exceptional work or effort.
• How girls use it : Girls may use the phrase in conversations with their friends, colleagues, or online communities to show appreciation for someone’s achievements.
• How to reply : If someone says “understood the assignment” to you, you can reply with a simple “thank you” or express your gratitude for their recognition.

Girls use the phrase similarly to everyone else. It is a lighthearted and positive way to acknowledge someone’s accomplishments. So, if a girl says “understood the assignment” to you, take it as a compliment and feel proud of your achievements!

• Girl A: I just finished my final project for school!
• Girl B: Nice job! You totally understood the assignment !
• Girl: I saw your artwork on Instagram. It’s amazing!
• Artist: Thank you so much! I’m glad you think I understood the assignment .
• Girl A: Check out this outfit I put together for the party tonight.
• Girl B: Wow, you look stunning! You definitely understood the assignment .
• Girl: I just aced my math test!
• Friend: That’s awesome! You really understood the assignment .
• Girl A: I finally finished writing my novel.
• Girl B: That’s incredible! You truly understood the assignment and brought your story to life.

What Does Understood The Assignment Mean From a Guy?

When a guy uses the phrase “understood the assignment,” it can have similar meanings as when a girl uses it. However, there may be some slight differences in how guys use and interpret the slang. Here’s what you need to know:

Complimenting appearance or performance : Like girls, guys may use “understood the assignment” to compliment someone’s appearance or performance. They might use it to acknowledge someone’s stylish outfit, impressive skills, or exceptional work.

Acknowledging achievements : Guys may also use “understood the assignment” to recognize someone’s achievements or efforts. Whether it’s in sports, academics, or any other area, they use it to show appreciation for someone who has gone above and beyond.

Flirting or expressing interest : In some cases, guys may use “understood the assignment” as a flirty hint or a way to express their interest in someone. It can be a playful way of showing admiration and attraction.

Different tone or delivery : While the overall meaning is similar, guys may have a different tone or delivery when using “understood the assignment.” They might use it in a more casual or laid-back manner compared to girls.

If a guy says “understood the assignment” to you, here are a few things to consider:

Context of the conversation : Pay attention to the context in which he used the phrase. Was it in response to something specific you did or said? Understanding the context can give you clues about his intentions.

Your relationship with him : Consider your relationship with this guy. Are you friends, dating, or just acquaintances? The meaning behind his use of “understood the assignment” can vary depending on your relationship dynamics.

Body language and tone : Take note of his body language and tone of voice when he says it. Does he seem serious, playful, or flirtatious? These non-verbal cues can provide additional context to help you understand his intentions.

Of course, it’s important to remember that not every guy will use “understood the assignment” in the same way. Some may use it casually without any specific meaning, while others may use it as a genuine compliment or flirtation. If you’re unsure about his intentions, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification or simply take it as a positive acknowledgment of your achievements.

• Guy 1: Dude, did you see that new video game trailer? It looks insane!
• Guy 2: Yeah, the graphics are next level. The developers really understood the assignment .
• Guy 1: Check out this painting I just finished. What do you think?
• Guy 2: Wow, man! You really understood the assignment . It’s so detailed and vibrant.
• Guy 1: I aced my math test today!
• Guy 2: Nice job, dude! You definitely understood the assignment . Math can be tough, but you nailed it.
• Guy 1: I just finished renovating my apartment. Take a look!
• Guy 2: Whoa, it looks amazing! You totally understood the assignment . The design is on point.
• Guy: I saw your dance performance last night. You killed it!
• Girl: Thanks! I practiced so hard. I’m glad it paid off.
• Guy: It definitely did. You absolutely understood the assignment on that stage!

What Does Understood The Assignment Mean Sexually?

No, “understood the assignment” does not have a sexual or NSFW meaning. It is a slang phrase used to praise someone who goes above and beyond or consistently performs well in various situations.

Origin of Understood The Assignment

The origins of the phrase “understood the assignment” are unclear. It gained popularity in 2021, particularly on social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter. It is possible that the phrase originated from the common understanding of assignments in school or the workplace, where individuals who excel or consistently perform well are said to have understood the assignment. However, it is also possible that the phrase emerged organically as a catchy and expressive way to praise someone’s exceptional work or effort. Without further information, it is difficult to determine if it is a derived word or a popular typo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Slangs similar to understood the assignment.

The slang phrase “understood the assignment” is similar to the words “outdated,” “trying too hard,” “conformist,” “on trend,” “generic,” and “out of touch” because they all describe someone or something that is not keeping up with trends, not standing out, or lacking originality or uniqueness. These terms are used to criticize or describe someone or something that is not meeting expectations or societal norms.

Is Understood The Assignment A Bad Word?

No, “understood the assignment” is not a bad word or vulgar word. It is a phrase used to praise someone who goes above and beyond to do a good job or who is always on point. It gained popularity in 2021 and is often used on social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter to remark about fantastic and on point things.

Is Understood The Assignment a Typo or Misspelling?

The term “dyat” could be a misspelling or typo, as it is not a recognized word and may have been mistyped due to its similarity to the word “dat” or “diet.”

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Understood The Assignment

Did an amazing job.

When somebody understood the assignment, they did something incredible and gave it their all. For example, when a person designs a fabulous outfit and looks stunning, they understood the assignment.

Origin of Understood the Assignment

The slang phrase "understood the assignment" was popularized in 2021 by American rapper Tay Money's song "The Assignment." For example, lyrics from her song are, "Tay, you killed this. I understood the assignment."

The phrase plays off how excellent students or employees understand assignments in school or the workplace really well and subsequently produce stellar work. In the fall of 2021, the phrase grew in popularity on social sites, like TikTok and Twitter, as people used it to remark about fantastic and on point things.

For example, a fan may say, "Tiger Woods understood the assignment," when the golfer beats the rest of the field so badly that he makes them look like amateurs. Or, a musician may have stunning album art, and someone may share it on Twitter, saying, "The new Cardi B album cover understood the assignment."

Related Slang

Understood the assignment definition by slang.net.

This page explains what the slang term "Understood the assignment" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the Slang.net team.

We are constantly updating our database with new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. If you would like to suggest a term or an update to an existing one, please let us know !

Actors Who Really 'Understood The Assignment,' Twitter's Newest Meme Format

There are a lot of amazing actors out there, some of them, however, have one very successful role and that becomes all that they are recognized for *cough cough,* Ferris Bueller, *cough cough.* There are other movie stars that are able to completely transform themselves into every role that comes their way, sometimes to the point that you forget who the actor even was in the first place.

The newest way to explain how some actors just 'get it,' is by tweet ing some of their famous roles and saying, 'They UNDERSTOOD the assignment.' It might not make sense to you now , but, rest assured, after you see a couple of these, it'll start to make sense.

I think this one is undebatable. To say Robin Williams 'understood the assignment' is nearly an understatement, Robin low-key invented the assignment. He always delivered 100%.

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Okay @imbd we see you joining this trend. Rightfully so, I suppose, you would know better than anyone. And, you killed it. Christian Bale was clearly an expert at the assignment. Clearly he is an A+ student.

• 3 <p lang="en" dir="ltr">no SHE always understood the assignment <a href="https://t.co/sTWBBf45eS">pic.twitter.com/sTWBBf45eS</a></p>&mdash; peanut (@eyysalii) <a href="https://twitter.com/eyysalii/status/1379131114661511177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>"> Via @eyysalii
• 4 <p lang="en" dir="ltr">no HE always understood the assignment <a href="https://t.co/qXZ1wZqHYv">pic.twitter.com/qXZ1wZqHYv</a></p>&mdash; day | elaia lovebot (@balladofsongs) <a href="https://twitter.com/balladofsongs/status/1378432863616475137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>"> Via @balladofsongs
• 5 <p lang="en" dir="ltr">ok but HE understood the assignment <a href="https://t.co/QWJ0EosWQZ">pic.twitter.com/QWJ0EosWQZ</a></p>&mdash; drew timme simp account (@emjoselix) <a href="https://twitter.com/emjoselix/status/1379241751823708167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>"> Via @emjoselix
• 6 <p lang="en" dir="ltr">Johnny Depp has ALWAYS understood the assignment <a href="https://t.co/oM5PGQLFfI">pic.twitter.com/oM5PGQLFfI</a></p>&mdash; ARIUS💋✨ (@xcv_arius) <a href="https://twitter.com/xcv_arius/status/1378578156655902721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>"> Via @xcv_arius
• 7 <p lang="en" dir="ltr">She UNDERSTOOD the assignment! <a href="https://t.co/T4ZyO5FJkW">pic.twitter.com/T4ZyO5FJkW</a></p>&mdash; Umar Farouk Aliyu (@aliyu_zaza) <a href="https://twitter.com/aliyu_zaza/status/1379231053475418113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>"> Via @aliyu_zaza
• 8 <p lang="en" dir="ltr">she UNDERSTOOD the assignment <a href="https://t.co/SmOONSG5i7">pic.twitter.com/SmOONSG5i7</a></p>&mdash; i miss obama (@spinsewz) <a href="https://twitter.com/spinsewz/status/1378905643260604416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>"> Via @spinsewz
• 9 <p lang="en" dir="ltr">no HE always understood the assignment <a href="https://t.co/xqax6cnQF5">pic.twitter.com/xqax6cnQF5</a></p>&mdash; irene (@LEDGERING) <a href="https://twitter.com/LEDGERING/status/1378351326715899907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>"> Via @LEDGERING
• 10 <p lang="en" dir="ltr">emma thompson always understood the assignment <a href="https://t.co/82vpc1ZKsq">pic.twitter.com/82vpc1ZKsq</a></p>&mdash; mae (@darIingeve) <a href="https://twitter.com/darIingeve/status/1378788444466466817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>"> Via @darIingeve
• 11 <p lang="en" dir="ltr">no HE always understood the assignment <a href="https://t.co/9b5wkfct9z">pic.twitter.com/9b5wkfct9z</a></p>&mdash; Turtle🎭 (@KingTurtle__) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingTurtle__/status/1379131316030087168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>"> Via @KingTurtle__

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A quarter century on, the school shooters’ mythology has propagated a sprawling subculture that idolizes murder and mayhem.

M ass shootings didn’t start at Columbine High, but the mass-shooter era did. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold’s audacious plan and misread motives multiplied the stakes and inspired wave after wave of emulation. How could we know we were witnessing an origin story?

The legend of Columbine is fiction. There are two versions of the attack: what actually happened on April 20, 1999, and the story we all accepted back then. The mythical version explained it all so cleanly. A pair of outcast loners dubbed the “Trench Coat Mafia” targeted the jocks to avenge years of bullying. Dwayne Fuselier, the supervisory special agent who led the FBI’s Columbine investigation, is fond of quoting H. L. Mencken in response to the mythmaking: “There is always a well-known solution to every human problem—neat, plausible, and wrong.”

The legend hinges on bullying, but the killers never mentioned it in the huge trove of journals, online posts, and videos they left to explain themselves. The myth was so insidious because it cast the ruthless killers as heroes of misfits everywhere. Fuselier warned how appealing that myth would sound to anyone who felt ostracized. Within a few years, the fledgling fandom would find one another on social media, where they have operated ever since.

Around the world, Eric and Dylan are idolized as champions of “the nobodies.” Eric hated the nobodies. He mocked them mercilessly on his website and in his journal. He wasn’t a loner or an outcast, and neither was Dylan. Eric and Dylan made clear in their writings that they were planning the attack for their own selfish motives—certainly not to help the kids they ridiculed at the bottom of the social food chain.

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They were not in the Trench Coat Mafia. They were not Nazis or white supremacists, and they did not plan the attack for Hitler’s birthday. They did not target jocks, Christians, or Black people. They targeted no one specifically. They shot randomly and designed their bombs to kill indiscriminately. That’s where “they” ends: Their polar-opposite personalities drove opposite motives. Psychopaths are devoid of empathy; Eric was a sadistic psychopath who killed for his own aggrandizement and enjoyment. Dylan was suicidally depressed and self-loathing. Eric lured him into punishing the world for the pain it inflicted on him, instead of punishing himself. Columbine was a suicide plan, but on “Judgment Day,” as they called it, Dylan would show the world the “somebody” we’d never seen.

T he Columbine killers have fans. Eric and Dylan’s adoring online following spreads across nearly every continent, and it’s growing across multiple platforms. The Russian government, which has been plagued by an explosion of both Columbine fandom and mass shootings, estimates that more than 70,000 members exist worldwide. They call themselves the TCC, for “True Crime Community,” and I’ve spent much of the past 15 years inside their online world. My book Columbine made me enemy No. 1 for portraying Eric and Dylan as ruthless murderers.

In 2016, a young fan tweeted: “hey @DaveCullen block me or else i shoot my school.” She’d been ranting for hours, posting pictures of school shooters, and tweets such as: “It’s also something a lot of people need, To die....I wish i was dead...I LIKE VIOLENCE...I want to be killed in front of an audience. … I think someone failed to abort me (:”

These teens are ensnared in an American tragedy that just keeps growing worse.

I’ve tried to leave this story so many times, but this diagram haunts me, ruthlessly expanding like an unstoppable spider web, devouring all the lives and futures in its path. It demands that we address the cause—25 years too late. That web is made up of 54 mass shootings that have killed nearly 300 people and wounded more than 500. And every gunman left evidence that they were inspired or influenced by the murderers at Columbine. The Columbine effect.

Eric and Dylan’s bombs failed. Yet the legend made them heroic to their progeny and gave birth to their fandom. By the tenth anniversary, a small band of “Columbiners” had formed online. They gravitated to the TCC, to Ted Bundy, to the younger Tsarnaev brother, ‎to Dylann Roof, and to others—but Eric and Dylan are the megastars. The groupies multiply, as fresh crops of teens join their ranks each season.

Most gunmen die in the act, so the 54 attacks itemized in the diagram are just the ones that we know of, and that were carried out. A 2015 Mother Jones investigation of Columbine copycats found more than two thwarted attacks for each one that succeeded. It identified 14 plotters targeting Columbine’s anniversary and 13 striving to top its body count. Surviving mass shooters have admitted that they were competing with one another.

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A ll roads lead back to Columbine. The Virginia Tech shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, wrote in a school assignment that he wanted to “repeat Columbine” and that he idolized its “martyrs.” The Northern Illinois University killer marked a third generation, explicitly inspired by both Virginia Tech and Columbine. Sandy Hook was the fourth generation; Adam Lanza had studied all three. Six more school shooters later referenced Sandy Hook and Columbine. Five generations of fallout, all reenacting the original legend.

Most early Columbiners were just curious teenagers interested in the criminal mind or in analyzing Columbine. Many still are, and their analyses are often useful. Many are angry about being tarred with the group’s reputation, but they have been outnumbered by new arrivals unabashedly calling themselves fans. Many use the killers’ faces as avatars, extoll their virtues, and compose love poems, fan fiction, and gory memes about them. Sue Klebold said she was shocked by the volume of letters she received calling Dylan “heroic” and by the number of girls saying, “I wish I could have his baby.”

How little these groupies know about the murderers they obsess over is ironic. They keep repeating the misreporting that was debunked decades ago, convinced it’s true because it has metastasized into TCC dogma. The TCC twists the story to recast the murderers as victims; and the dead, wounded, and traumatized as villains. The groupies didn’t start these myths; we in the media bear that shame. But the groupies are now the carriers, spreading the legend of Dylan and Eric to remote reaches of the globe.

Seventy thousand is a tiny fraction of the adolescent population, but a magnet for a dangerous cohort of marginalized, disaffected, and hopeless teens—a major pool of aspiring shooters. Most TCC members outright say that they condone the Columbine murders, often in their profiles. They have turned Eric and Dylan into folk heroes, and they celebrate them as avenging angels. Adam Lanza obsessed over the Columbine killers and spent years immersed in these groups online. Then he murdered 20 little kids and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Here’s the twist: Most of the TCC members I’ve engaged with describe themselves as awkward outcasts desperate to fit in. The TCC embraces them. The TCC feels cool—Eric and Dylan are super cool—and so they finally feel cool. I find it heartbreaking to hear them describe the pain they endure at school and the affinity they feel for “Dylan” and “Eric,” the fictional characters they’ve constructed. These kids are shocked when I tell them that other members of the TCC have told me the same—that they are putting on the same show, sure that all the others really mean it. Did Adam Lanza believe the posers? We’ll never know, but we can be certain that as you read this, a distraught, lonely kid somewhere is contemplating an attack—and the one community they trust is screaming, Do it!

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Lots of kids fantasize about killing. Two days after Columbine, Salon ran “ Misfits Who Don’t Kill ,” in which three people came clean about their youthful fantasies of enacting mass murder. The phenomenon was widely reported that week. But none of those people did anything, because they knew how horribly wrong acting out the fantasy would be. Inside the TCC bubble, the constant message is that if your classmates are tormenting you, killing them is not just moral —it’s heroic and noble.

T he TCC has a tell: Actual shootings unnerve them. Their posts grow quiet, respectful, and even mournful after some troubled young person heeds their call. I can gauge the change instantly, because the incessant harassment I get from them stops cold—for a week or two. Parkland was different: Six months went by before the taunts began trickling back in, and I haven’t gotten a death threat in the six years since. Why? I have no way to be certain about this, but my educated guess is that David Hogg, X González, and the rest of the March for Our Lives kids were suddenly cooler than the young shooters. And so much more powerful.

Eric and Dylan weren’t powerful—their plan failed. They’d planned Columbine as a bombing , the primary terrorist tactic. They thought they were launching a three-act drama: The cafeteria bombs would kill nearly 600 people instantly; what they called the “fun” part would be shooting up hundreds of survivors; and the massive car bombs set in the parking lot outside were to be the coup de grâce. Those timers were set to explode 45 minutes after the initial blast, wiping out countless more survivors and first responders, live on national TV. The Columbine killers’ performance was staged as the most apocalyptic made-for-TV horror film in American history. Eric complained in his journal that his “audience” would fail to understand. He got that right. He got everything else wrong.

Every element fizzled. All of the big bombs failed. Eric and Dylan went down to the cafeteria in a last desperate move to ignite the bombs with gunfire and a Molotov cocktail. Failed. Experts on psychopaths say they get bored after their initial kills, and Eric had likely lost interest. His gun’s recoil had broken his nose, so he spent that time in acute pain. The cops refused to kill them in the blaze of glory that they’d described as their final curtain. The smell of all the blood and already decomposing bodies was overpowering. Out of options, each shot himself in the head.

A more obscene and pathetic way to die is hard to imagine. Yet their fans have never confronted that ugly reality, because the opposite story took hold, making Eric and Dylan masterminds of the “worst school shooting in American history.”

The Columbine effect has gone global. It has inspired mass shootings in Finland, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Ukraine, and Russia—as well as knife and axe attacks in places as remote as Siberia. In 2022, Russia designated the online “Columbine movement” a terrorist group. To comply with the ruling, my publisher required me to disavow the group in the Russian translation of Columbine . Mass murder inspired by those inept perpetrators is America’s most revolting cultural export.

I know when the TCC colonizes a new region, because I start getting a barrage of taunts in a different language. It’s a social contagion. Researchers have described school shootings as the American equivalent of suicide bombings—an ideology joined with a tactic. The phenomenon is escalating and self-perpetuating.

The Columbine groupies have no idea that they’re exporting a fraud. The media set this whole thing in motion 25 years ago. To untell a legend is a formidable task. It will be possible only when the media finally begin to convey how pathetic and gruesome the killers’ final moments were. The fans need to hear the ugly truth. Eric and Dylan viciously murdered innocent kids for their own selfish and petty agendas, and they died miserable failures.

This essay is adapted by the author from the new preface to a 25th-anniversary edition of Columbine .