If I Miss Im Gay — Three-panel TikTok collage of Madonna with pink hair tossing pink underwear into a trash can, captioned 'If I miss, I'm Gay!'

If I Miss Im Gay

2022video trendclassic

Published September 24, 2026

If I Miss, I'm Gay is a TikTok trend from September 2022 where users toss an object at a target, intentionally miss, and then act out a stereotypically gay gesture to match the caption. The format blew up when Madonna posted her own version in October 2022, which many viewers read as a coming-out moment.

tiktok sound trends participatory video memes lgbtq memes catchphrase memes 2022 memes

Overview

If I Miss, I'm Gay is a TikTok video format where a person tosses something at a target, misses on purpose, and then performs a gag that plays on gay stereotypes to justify the caption3. The setup is usually a piece of paper aimed at a trash can or a pair of underwear at a bin, with the on-screen text doing the punchline work1.

The joke word swaps easily. Some versions replace 'gay' with 'slay,' 'chill,' or whatever fits the bit, which is part of why the format spread so fast in late 20223. The trend also picked up a second life once celebrities joined in, most notably Madonna, whose entry shifted the conversation from a silly miss-the-shot bit to a discussion of her sexuality2.

Origin & Background

Platform
TikTok
Creator
@live_laugh_luis; original dart-throw video creator unknown
Date
2022

The audio traces back to around April 1st, 2021, when a TikTok clip of a man slurring 'if I miss, I'm gay' before flubbing a dart throw went viral. The original was deleted from TikTok but a reupload on YouTube pulled in over 100,000 views within a year3.

The modern video format was popularized on September 19th, 2022, when TikToker @live_laugh_luis posted a clip captioned 'If I miss, I'm gay,' throwing a paper ball at a trash can, missing, and walking off with an exaggerated strut. The video pulled more than 8 million views inside a month and set the template that everyone else copied3.

How It Spread

Through late September and early October 2022, the trend spilled across TikTok with the 'slay' variant running alongside the original. Bryce Hall posted his take on September 21st, 2022, which pulled roughly 12 million views in two weeks, and @twistedpennywise's October 7th version added another 4.5 million views in four days3.

The format hit peak visibility on October 9th, 2022, when Madonna posted a TikTok in which she held up a pair of pink underwear, tossed them at a small bin, missed, and flourished her hand. She wore a white corseted top and pink hair, with no caption and no spoken word1. The clip pulled north of 25 million views within a day3.

Because Madonna had discussed her bisexuality since a 1991 interview with The Advocate but never formally labeled it, many younger TikTok viewers read the post as a real coming-out moment1. Comments split between people asking if she had just come out at 64 and longtime fans pointing out this was not news. CNN, People, and CTV News all covered the reaction on October 10th and 11th4.

How to Use This Meme

The format is straightforward. Film yourself lining up a throw at a target, add on-screen text reading 'If I miss, I'm gay' (or a swap word like 'slay' or 'chill'), miss on purpose, then react with a gag that matches the caption. Common conventions include a dramatic walk-off, a limp-wrist flourish, or a cut to a related visual joke.

Frequently Asked Questions