# Deez Nuts

> Deez Nuts is a bait-and-switch phrase joke from Dr. Dre's 1992 album, popularized via 2015 viral Instagram videos by WelvenDaGreat, where users trick unsuspecting people with the absurdist punchline "deez nuts!

"Deez Nuts" is a bait-and-switch joke built around tricking someone into asking a follow-up question, then hitting them with the punchline "deez nuts!" The phrase originated from a skit on Dr. Dre's 1992 album *The Chronic* and exploded into mainstream internet culture in 2015 after a viral Instagram video by WelvenDaGreat. It reached peak absurdity when a 15-year-old Iowa boy registered "Deez Nuts" as a presidential candidate and polled at 9% in North Carolina.

## Origin
On December 15, 1992, Dr. Dre released his debut solo album *The Chronic*, which included a skit track called "Deeez Nuuuts"[4]. In the skit's intro, rapper Warren G performs a prank phone call to a woman, setting up the joke with casual conversation before dropping the punchline[12]. The track wasn't a standalone single, but as a skit on one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of the '90s, it planted the phrase deep in rap culture[9].

By September 2004, the phrase had enough cultural traction to earn its own Urban Dictionary entry, submitted by user Dee Loc[4]. Throughout the 2000s, "deez nuts" circulated as slang in hip-hop circles and casual conversation, appearing in song titles by A.L.T. (1993) and Xscape (1993)[12]. But it stayed mostly within that subculture until a new generation discovered it two decades later.

- **Platform:** Vine/YouTube
- **Creator:** Dr. Dre (original skit), Warren G (performer in skit), WelvenDaGreat / Welven Harris (2015 viral video), Brady Olson (presidential candidacy stunt)
- **Date:** 2015

## Overview
"Deez Nuts" works as a conversational ambush. The setup involves asking someone a vague or leading question designed to make them say "what?" or "who?" The attacker then delivers the punchline by yelling "deez nuts!" as loudly and obnoxiously as possible[12]. The humor comes entirely from misdirection and the shock of the crude non sequitur, not from any literal meaning[9].

The joke format is infinitely adaptable. Any question containing a word that sounds vaguely like "deez" can be weaponized. "Do you like Wendy's?" becomes "Wendy's nuts hit your face." "Have you heard of Imagine Dragons?" leads to "Imagine draggin' deez nuts." The formula is simple enough for a child to execute, which is exactly why it spread so effectively among younger internet users[10].

## How It Spread
The modern "Deez Nuts" era began on March 20, 2015, when Instagram user WelvenDaGreat (real name Welven Harris) posted a short video of himself on the phone[4]. In the clip, he tells someone that "something came in the mail today," waits for the confused response, and shouts "DEEZ NUTS!" before erupting in genuine, gleeful laughter[8]. The combination of simple setup, perfect delivery, and infectious joy made the video an instant hit, pulling in over 58,000 likes in the first month[4].

Four days later, on March 24, YouTuber Javalicius uploaded an extended cut of WelvenDaGreat's video that racked up over 490,000 views[4]. By early April, the clip had been remixed into everything. On April 4, the Mykleeproduction Instagram account spliced the punchline into a *Blue's Clues* scene[4]. A week later, Viner Khadi Don mashed it with a scene from the 2002 *Spider-Man* film[4]. Compilation videos of Vine remixes were pulling six-figure view counts within 48 hours.

The meme jumped from Vine and Instagram comedy to national news in the summer of 2015. On July 26, someone filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission for an independent presidential candidate named "Deez Nuts," listing a Wallingford, Iowa address[14]. CBS News reported on the filing on July 28, noting that "Deez Nuts" joined over 500 other candidates who had filed similar paperwork, alongside names like "Sydneys Voluptuous Buttocks" and "President Emperor Caesar"[14].

Then Public Policy Polling decided to include Deez Nuts in actual state polls. The results: 7% in Iowa, 8% in Minnesota, and 9% in North Carolina in a three-way race against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump[1]. On August 19, ABC 11 in North Carolina tweeted about the polling data with the assurance that they "were not hacked," pulling over 9,000 retweets and 4,400 favorites in 24 hours[4].

## How to Use
The standard "Deez Nuts" joke follows a three-step formula[10]:
1. **The Setup:** Ask a vague question or make a statement designed to provoke a "what?" or "who?" response. Common setups include "Something came in the mail today," "Do you like Wendy's?" or "Have you heard of the band Imagine Dragons?"
2. **The Bait:** Wait for the target to take the bait by asking a follow-up question.
3. **The Punchline:** Deliver "DEEZ NUTS!" with maximum volume and enthusiasm. The phrase "HA, GOT EEM!" often follows[6].

## Cultural Impact
The 2015 presidential polling incident generated serious media discussion about voter dissatisfaction with the two-party system. Multiple outlets used the polling data to discuss how frustrated voters were with their options in the 2016 race[2]. A fictional candidate named after a crude joke pulling nearly 10% in a swing state was funny, but it also reflected genuine disillusionment[13].

Dictionary.com added "deez nuts" to its slang dictionary, defining it as "an expression used to deliberately interrupt or divert a conversation" and noting its figurative rather than literal function[12]. The phrase crossed language barriers and became recognizable globally, with the presidential polling story getting coverage far beyond American media.

The meme also had a music afterlife. An Australian hardcore punk band named Deez Nuts (featuring vocalist JJ Peters) has released multiple albums and EPs[8]. And the phrase kept showing up in hip-hop well into the 2020s as a callback and cultural reference point[5].

## Fun Facts
- Brady Olson was only 15 when he filed to run for president as Deez Nuts. Had he won, he would have needed to age 20 years overnight to meet the constitutional minimum of 35[2].
- The FEC filing form was so basic it didn't even ask for the candidate's age, which was Olson's entire point about the system's lack of vetting[3].
- At 9% in North Carolina, Deez Nuts outpolled several actual Republican candidates in a hypothetical three-way general election race[11].
- Olson's dream running mate was Limberbutt McCubbins, the cat from Kentucky that was also a registered presidential candidate[2].
- Over 500 people filed presidential candidacy statements for the 2016 cycle, including "Sara H. Paylin," "Brystol S. Palyn," and "President Emperor Caesar"[14].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Deez Nuts?
"Deez Nuts" is a bait-and-switch verbal prank where someone asks a misleading question to set up the punchline "deez nuts!" It originated from a skit on Dr. Dre's 1992 album *The Chronic* and went viral in 2015 through an Instagram video by WelvenDaGreat[12].

### Where did Deez Nuts come from?
The phrase first appeared in a skit track called "Deeez Nuuuts" on Dr. Dre's debut album *The Chronic*, released December 15, 1992. Warren G performs the joke as a prank phone call in the track's intro[4].

### What does Deez Nuts mean?
It's a slang euphemism for testicles used as a conversational ambush. The phrase functions as a non sequitur designed to interrupt or derail a conversation rather than as a literal anatomical reference[12].

### How do you use Deez Nuts?
Ask a vague question that prompts the target to say "what?" Then deliver "DEEZ NUTS!" with enthusiasm. Advanced setups use wordplay where a word in the question sounds like "deez nuts" when spoken aloud[7].

### Is Deez Nuts still popular?
The meme's peak was 2015, but it still circulates as a nostalgic callback. Its role shifted from an active prank format to a legacy meme that people reference with knowing humor[10].

### Who is WelvenDaGreat?
WelvenDaGreat (real name Welven Harris) is the Instagram comedian whose March 2015 video revived the "deez nuts" joke for a new generation. His clip of pranking a friend over the phone pulled over 58,000 likes in its first month and spawned thousands of remixes[4].

### Who was the Deez Nuts presidential candidate?
Brady Olson, a 15-year-old from Wallingford, Iowa, filed a statement of candidacy with the FEC on July 26, 2015, under the name "Deez Nuts." He was inspired by Limberbutt McCubbins, a cat registered as a presidential candidate[2].

### How well did Deez Nuts poll in the 2016 election?
Deez Nuts polled at 9% in North Carolina, 8% in Minnesota, and 7% in Iowa in Public Policy Polling surveys during August 2015, in three-way matchups against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump[1].

### Why did Public Policy Polling include Deez Nuts?
PPP's Jim Williams said someone emailed them claiming to be "Deez Nuts" and asked to be polled. Williams thought it fit PPP's irreverent brand and added the name to a Minnesota survey as an experiment[2].

### Is there a band called Deez Nuts?
Yes. Deez Nuts is an Australian hardcore punk band featuring vocalist JJ Peters. They have released multiple albums and EPs and are unrelated to the meme[8].

### What is the "Got Eem" catchphrase?
"Got Eem" (or "Ha, got 'em!") is the triumphant exclamation shouted after successfully landing a "deez nuts" joke. It was popularized by WelvenDaGreat's delivery in his 2015 video and became a standalone meme phrase[6].

### Did the Deez Nuts candidacy have real policy positions?
Yes. After the polling numbers went viral, Brady Olson posted policy positions on Facebook, including support for a balanced budget and the Iran Deal[2].

## References
1. [Trump grows lead in NC; GOP leads most match ups - Public Policy Polling](<https://www.publicpolicypolling.com/polls/trump-grows-lead-in-nc-gop-leads-most-match-ups/>)
2. [Presidential Sensation Deez Nuts Is a 15-Year-Old Iowa Farm Boy](<https://www.thedailybeast.com/presidential-sensation-deez-nuts-is-a-15-year-old-iowa-farm-boy/>)
3. [Poll Numbers Improving for 15-Year-Old Presidential Candidate ‘Deez Nuts’ [Updated]](<https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2015/08/deez-nuts-rising-in-presidential-polls.html>)
4. [Deez Nuts - Know Your Meme](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/deez-nuts>)
5. [Deez Nuts](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deez_Nuts>)
6. [Deez Nuts - Urban Dictionary](<https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Deez%20Nuts>)
7. [Urban Dictionary: deez nuts](<https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=deez%20nuts>)
8. [Deez Nuts Meaning: What Does It Mean? - English Study Online](<https://englishstudyonline.org/deez-nuts-meaning/>)
9. [The Origin and Popularity of “Deez Nuts”: A Comprehensive Guide - TVovermind](<https://tvovermind.com/deez-nuts-origin-and-popularity/>)
10. [deez nuts](<https://factually.co/fact-checks/entertainment/origin-popularity-deez-nuts-phrase-3a79af>)
11. [What is Deez Nuts? The 2026 Guide to the Meme](<https://eathealthy365.com/deez-nuts-explained-origin-meaning-and-presidential-run/>)
12. [Internet meme 'Deez Nuts' out-polls Walker, Fiorina, and Huckabee in North Carolina | The Week](<https://theweek.com/speedreads/572769/internet-meme-deez-nuts-outpolls-walker-fiorina-huckabee-north-carolina>)
13. [deez nuts | Slang | Dictionary.com](<https://www.dictionary.com/culture/slang/deez-nuts>)
14. [Who Is Deez Nuts? Internet Meme Surges In 2016 Presidential Polls | IBTimes](<https://www.ibtimes.com/who-deez-nuts-internet-meme-surges-2016-presidential-polls-2060792>)
15. [Deez Nuts is running for president - CBS News](<https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deez-nuts-is-running-for-president/>)

---
Source: https://meme.com/memes/deez-nuts
Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library