Joe Byron is a viral TikTok catchphrase and lip-dub audio from a September 2021 Sidetalk NYC video shot at Coney Island, where a shirtless man shouts a mangled version of Joe Biden's name[1].

Where did Joe Byron come from?

It came from a Sidetalk NYC video posted to YouTube on September 10th, 2021, titled 'Coney Island Ski Club,' featuring a shirtless Coney Island local later nicknamed TJ[1].

What does Joe Byron mean?

It is a comedic mispronunciation of Joe Biden's name, shouted by a Coney Island local in Sidetalk NYC videos, sometimes framed on TikTok as 'PRESIDENT BYRON'[2].

How do you use Joe Byron?

People typically lip-dub the Sidetalk audio while copying the men's body language and jumping up on the 'Bing Bong!' line[1].

Is Joe Byron still popular?

It peaked in late 2021 with tens of millions of TikTok plays across the original clips and countless lip-dub recreations before fading from active use[3].

Joe Byron

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Joe Byron is a 2021 viral catchphrase from a Sidetalk NYC street interview at Coney Island, where a shirtless man shouts a mangled version of Joe Biden's name. The clip became one of TikTok's biggest lip-dub audios of late 2021, alongside its sister catchphrases 'Bing Bong!' and 'Fuck ya life!'

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Overview

Joe Byron is a viral catchphrase and TikTok lip-dub sound that came from a September 2021 Sidetalk NYC street interview filmed at Coney Island1. In the clip, a shirtless man shouts a mangled version of Joe Biden's name, while other locals scream 'Bing Bong!' and 'Fuck ya life!' at the camera2.

The audio became one of TikTok's biggest sounds of late 2021, with users lip-dubbing the raspy delivery and physically recreating the men's movements from the original Coney Island clip2. Urban Dictionary entries from that period defined the name simply as 'the 46th president from coney island'4.

Origin & Background

Platform

YouTube (Sidetalk NYC) / TikTok (viral spread)

Creator

Sidetalk NYC

Date

2021

The shirtless Coney Island regular first said 'Joe Byron' in a Sidetalk NYC YouTube video titled 'Coney Island's Finest,' uploaded on April 10th, 2021, which pulled around 1 million views over eight months1. The same clip was cross-posted to Sidetalk's TikTok the next day with the caption 'PRESIDENT BYRON,' where it hit roughly 4.5 million plays2.

The catchphrase did not fully take off until Sidetalk uploaded 'Coney Island Ski Club' to YouTube on September 10th, 2021, adding the shirtless man screaming 'YESSIR!' under a fire hydrant and a driver yelling 'Fuck ya life! Bing Bong!' at the camera1.

How It Spread

The audio blew up after TikTok user @big_hemi1 reposted the September clip on October 23rd, 2021, pulling roughly 19.8 million plays and 3.4 million likes in six weeks3. In mid-November, @holaitshenry posted the first friend-group lip-dub, and days later @parchaking7 kicked off the version where creators jump up and kick their legs out when the audio hits 'Bing Bong!'3.

Sidetalk's follow-up Coney Island shoot, 'A Coney Island Thanksgiving,' was uploaded to YouTube on November 25th, 2021 and pulled around 903,000 views in a week1. The TikTok cut of that same shoot cleared 11.5 million plays in the same window2.

On December 2nd, 2021, TikToker @zoeanneliece posted a clip identifying the shirtless man as a Coney Island local nicknamed TJ and linking a GoFundMe campaign to help him off the streets3. Awareness of the catchphrase also crossed to Twitter in late November 2021, where users joked about being glad they were 'not in school no more' so they didn't have to hear 'bing bong' and Joe Byron all day2.

How to Use This Meme

Users typically play the Sidetalk audio over a video of themselves lip-dubbing each line and copying the men's body language from the original Coney Island clip2. A common convention is jumping up and kicking legs out when the audio hits 'Bing Bong!' and exaggerating the raspy 'Joe Byron' delivery1.

Frequently Asked Questions

References (4)