# Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour
Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour is a Game Grumps slang term for the COVID-19 outbreak, coined on March 31, 2020 to dodge YouTube's demonetization of videos that named the actual virus. Arin Hanson and Dan Avidan swapped the disease for the band's newly announced summer dates, and Reddit fans ran with the bit through April 2020.
## Origin
On March 31, 2020, Game Grumps uploaded the first episode of their Super Mario Galaxy 2 playthrough recorded under lockdown[2]. Arin Hanson told Dan Avidan on camera that they could not say 'the word' because YouTube was demonetizing any video that named the Coronavirus, and Dan pivoted by claiming the major event he had in mind was really the Backstreet Boys North American tour announced the month prior. Rolling Stone had covered the 45-date summer run in February 2020, with an opening night set for Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York on July 10[1].
Dan called it the Backstreet Boys 'Reunion' Tour on air, and the duo repeated the swap across following episodes, turning 'catching coronavirus' into 'getting tickets to the Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour'[3].
- **Platform:** YouTube (Game Grumps) / Reddit (viral spread)
- **Creator:** Arin Hanson and Dan Avidan (Game Grumps)
- **Date:** 2020
## Overview
The joke works as a straight substitution: anywhere a video creator would say 'coronavirus' or 'COVID,' they swap in 'the Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour' instead. Fans extended the bit so that catching the virus became 'getting tickets,' quarantine became 'avoiding the tour,' and frontline healthcare staff were thanked for their work 'during this Backstreet Boys reunion tour'[5]. The bit stayed inside the Game Grumps audience at first and spread to the r/gamegrumps and r/NinjaSexParty subreddits within days[3].
The format carried a specific tonal mix: dark enough to acknowledge a global crisis, safe enough to clear YouTube's March 2020 demonetization sweep on pandemic content. Captioned photos of self-isolation and Perfection-style template parodies of Game Grumps hosts Arin Hanson and Dan Avidan became the main image macro vehicles[6].
## How to Use
Replace any reference to COVID-19 or the pandemic with 'the Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour.' A common convention is to say someone 'got tickets' when they caught the virus, or that they are 'avoiding the tour' when self-isolating. Posts often include photos of empty streets, home-quarantine setups, or Game Grumps fan art with the swap in the caption[6].
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour?
A Game Grumps slang term for the COVID-19 outbreak, coined to let video creators talk about the pandemic without triggering YouTube demonetization of videos that named the virus[3].
### Where did Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour come from?
Arin Hanson and Dan Avidan floated the swap in the March 31, 2020 Game Grumps episode of their Super Mario Galaxy 2 playthrough[2], riffing on the band's newly announced summer dates[1].
### What does Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour mean?
It means the Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak. Catching the virus is called 'getting tickets,' and quarantine is called 'avoiding the tour'[3].
### How do you use Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour?
Substitute 'Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour' for 'coronavirus' in sentences about the pandemic. Fans paired the swap with self-isolation photos and Perfection-style template parodies on Reddit[7].
### Is Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour still popular?
Usage peaked in April 2020 inside Game Grumps subreddits and the adjacent r/NinjaSexParty community[8], and the bit faded with the specific YouTube demonetization window it was built around[3].
## References
1. [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/backstreet-boys-north-american-tour-950137/]()
2. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWjtSu5WQ9M]()
3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/backstreet-boys-reunion-tour]()
4. [https://www.reddit.com/r/gamegrumps/comments/ft70qr/me_and_my_girl_avoiding_the_backstreet_boys/]()
5. [https://www.reddit.com/r/NinjaSexParty/comments/ftbv85/shout_out_to_all_the_medical_workers_during_this/]()
6. [https://www.reddit.com/r/gamegrumps/comments/fuzpnq/stay_strong_fellow_nutsacks_oc/]()
7. [https://www.reddit.com/r/gamegrumps/comments/ftvnlj/the_real_name_of_this_problem_avoid_getting/]()
8. [https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/fzhk2h/what_is_up_with_the_meme_of_referring_to_the/]()
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