This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Jeanny Sánchez Gómez. Find them on Instagram at @jeanny_sanchez. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
One of my all-time favorite trends on TikTok has to be the Us in Another Universe one. On an app designed for short-lived trends, this one has managed to find its spot on my feed since it first became viral in late 2023 and I would argue that everyone has probably seen it whether it is on TikTok or another social media platform.
So what is it about this trend that’s kept it alive and thriving all this time?
The concept of this meme is derived from the idea that there are parallel universes that exist at the same time as ours and that slightly different versions of us are in these universes. This concept has been in so many forms of media for decades. Some of the first books are Sideways in Time from 1934 and Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells. A book so adored by many, A Wrinkle in Time, even has a somewhat recent screen adaptation and involves this concept as well.
One of the most popular cinematic universes, Marvel, even diverged into this topic in their multiverse. In the Loki show, you can see a real example of many different Loki’s. Arcane got super popular in 2024 and has an episode titled “Maybe in Another Universe”. This goes to show how recent TV shows and movies reference the concept, making this meme relevant yet again. One of my favorite examples is Everything Everywhere All At Once and the iconic line “In another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you,” a sentiment that the connection between two people would be just as strong in another version.
This meme can even come back around in your algorithm if you consume content about a certain TV show and it doesn’t end the way you wanted. An example of this is Severance or The Last of Us. People make fan content about these shows, and this meme can be applied to these shows, along with many others. You just need a picture of the two characters you wanted together, and you can caption it “us in another universe” to get the audience to know exactly what you are trying to make them feel. They might even interact in the comments, being for or against this fictional couple, and let the meme continue to circulate and live on even longer.
So many people have heard of this concept of a similar universe because it’s been in so many forms of media. This makes it relatable and something that nearly everyone can understand.
What makes this meme so powerful is that so many people understand it and can relate to it. Many of us also need the escapism of pretending they be someone or something else in another reality.
When this trend first emerged, I remember that most people were obsessed with the fact that the audio that went over it was a “Clay Pigeons” cover by Michael Cera, because let’s be real, I don’t think anyone expected him to invoke this much emotion in us, but the trend just evolved past Scott Pilgrim’s soothing voice in your ears.
Most of the time when I see these memes, it’s two cats! Just two sweet little animals cuddling. Sometimes it’s birds, dogs, cows, horses, lizards, rabbits, it could be any two things being sweet. This feeling that is evoked when you see two cute little animals is love. When you feel love through a screen, you are more likely to engage with the content, keeping it on your feed longer. This meme is something you can picture yourself in, you can imagine things that are not real, or use it as a visual for something that is real, and that’s what makes it so powerful.
The format is also images and the text “us in another universe”. This is super easy to replicate and can be literally anything, even two oranges and it still gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside of imagining you and that one special person being close together. This image sends you the feeling of hugs, the feeling of cuddling, the feeling of laughing together and being silly, or even falling asleep next to the person you love. The feeling this evokes is powerful and transformative, and can even send you back in time.
The constant refreshing of this meme format, by constantly seeing a different picture or background, is part of what keeps you from getting tired of it. This is similar to astrology meme pages. Since they keep using different pictures of Bratz dolls, celebrities, or Powerpuff girls, with the words Pisces and Aquarius above them, you never get tired of seeing them and scrolling through to find your sign. It’s the same format, so you always know what to expect, but the image is always different. It’s just the right amount of repetition with varying visuals.
Even when the two objects seem silly or kind of gross, the meme format makes it so broad that it becomes niche to the people who love it, making you feel a little more seen, despite the endless amounts of videos saying the same thing, and that’s what keeps this trending. Plus, sending them back and forth between you and your friend or partner is bound to result in a never-ending stream of laughs as you try to outdo each other with the most ridiculous objects you can find.
All in all, this meme provides the perfect amount of comfort with just the amount of variety, and every new trending show we binge-watch can fit into the format, making this a meme that never dies. And just like relationships, the meme only gets better as you continue to deep-dive into someone.
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