# Ligma Ligma is a bait-and-switch joke designed to trick someone into asking "What's ligma?" so the prankster can deliver the punchline "ligma balls" (a crude play on "lick my balls"). The joke existed online as early as May 2018, but it exploded into mainstream awareness in July 2018 when Instagram trolls used it to fabricate a death hoax claiming Fortnite streamer Ninja had died from a fictional disease called "Ligma"[1]. The hoax spread so fast that multiple news outlets covered it, PewDiePie made a video about it, and Ninja himself had to ban the word from his Twitch chat[2]. ## Origin The earliest documented use of the ligma joke predates the Ninja hoax. Urban Dictionary had an entry for "Ligma" dating back to June 13, 2018[1]. On May 28, 2018, Instagram user Galevik posted a video of a Twitter conversation where he told activist David Hogg "you should boycott ligma," setting up the classic bait[4]. That post picked up over 307,000 views within two months[4]. On June 6, 2018, a Donald Trump parody account tweeted a photoshopped image of the president dabbing alongside a mock conversation using the ligma joke on a journalist[4]. A subreddit dedicated to the joke launched in mid-June 2018[3]. But the moment that turned ligma from an underground prank into a full-blown internet event started on July 16, 2018. Instagram user ninja_hater, an account with around 3,000 followers, posted a crudely Photoshopped image of Fortnite streamer Tyler "Ninja" Blevins ascending to heaven, greeted by deceased figures including Michael Jackson, Tupac, Harambe, Billy Mays, and Lil Peep[3]. The caption read: "Spread this. Let's make fake news"[2]. - **Platform:** Instagram (death hoax), Urban Dictionary / social media (joke format) - **Creator:** Instagram user ninja_hater (death hoax originator), Instagram user foster.roach (added "Ligma" disease angle), Galevik (early Instagram usage) - **Date:** 2018 ## Overview Ligma belongs to the long tradition of setup-punchline word traps where the whole point is getting someone to ask a question they'll regret. The format is simple: mention "ligma" in conversation, wait for the target to ask what it means, then hit them with "ligma balls." It's the same joke structure as "bofa deez nuts" and "updog," just with different packaging[1]. What made Ligma different from its predecessors was the elaborate fiction built around it. Instead of just being a verbal gag between friends, it got weaponized as a fake disease in a coordinated death hoax targeting one of the internet's biggest streamers[3]. The joke went from a niche prank to an unavoidable internet event in less than a week. ## How It Spread The day after ninja_hater's post, Instagram user foster.roach reposted the image and added the key ingredient: the claim that Ninja had died from a fictional disease called "Ligma"[4]. The timing was accidentally perfect. Ninja, who normally streamed 12+ hours a day on a rigid schedule, had been quiet on social media that day[3]. Fans who didn't know about the joke genuinely worried he was dead. The hoax gained speed when Instagram user Spookid, with over 125,000 followers, shared the image and left a comment on Ninja's actual Instagram asking what happened to him[3]. Ninja took the bait and asked what ligma was, playing directly into the joke the internet had been hoping for[3]. Street artist Lushsux, with over 100,000 Twitter followers, added fuel by tweeting a photoshopped image asking if he should create a "memorial wall" for Ninja[4]. On July 18, Instagram user nutjuice_ posted a photoshopped CBS News headline declaring Ninja had "passed away"[4]. Gaming news outlet Twin Galaxies covered the hoax that same day[4]. Ninja tried to shut it down on stream, telling his moderators: "Yo, let's start banning all the Ligma stuff, please. Start with, like, a 24-hour ban and then go straight to permanent bans"[2]. On another stream he added: "It's a dick joke. And it's getting old"[9]. The real explosion came on July 22, when PewDiePie posted a Meme Review video titled "NINJA GOT LIGMA" that racked up nearly 5 million views in 24 hours[3]. DramaAlert and Scarce, two major commentary channels, also covered it, bringing the combined view count to close to 7 million across all three channels within days[3]. By that point, Ninja couldn't tweet anything without half the replies being about ligma[1]. ## How to Use The basic ligma format works in any conversation: 1. Casually mention "ligma" as if it's a real thing (a disease, a place, a product, an event) 2. Wait for the target to ask "What's ligma?" 3. Deliver the punchline: "Ligma balls" ## Cultural Impact Ligma crossed over from internet joke to mainstream news story within a week of the Ninja hoax. The Verge, Polygon, Daily Dot, Daily Mail, Metro, and The Sun all published explainers about the meme in late July 2018[1][3][2][7][8][6]. PewDiePie's coverage alone brought nearly 5 million views in its first day[3]. The October 2022 "Rahul Ligma" prank at Twitter HQ demonstrated the joke's staying power four years after its peak. The fact that professional journalists at CNBC and other outlets fell for a name that was literally "ligma" showed how the joke still worked on people unfamiliar with internet culture[5]. The incident became a meta-commentary on media literacy in the social media age. Microsoft's temporary banning and subsequent reinstatement of the "Ligma" Xbox gamertag in August 2018 raised questions about platform moderation and whether companies should police usernames based on trending jokes[5]. ## Fun Facts - The r/ligma subreddit launched in mid-June 2018, a full month before the Ninja death hoax made the joke famous[3]. - The owner of the Xbox gamertag "Ligma" had held the name for over 12 years before Microsoft forcibly renamed it during the meme's peak. Reddit rallied behind the gamer, and Microsoft reversed the decision[5]. - Ninja's daily streaming schedule involved a minimum of 12 hours on camera, which is why even a few hours of silence was enough to make the death hoax seem plausible[3]. - Meijer, a Midwestern grocery chain, was one of the few accounts on Twitter to successfully dodge the ligma bait when trolls targeted them in July 2018[2]. - Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch had to explain the ligma joke on four separate podcasts after journalists fell for the Rahul Ligma prank in 2022[5]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Ligma? Ligma is a bait-and-switch joke where someone mentions "ligma" to trick another person into asking what it means. The punchline is "ligma balls," a play on "lick my balls." It became massively popular in July 2018 through a fake death hoax involving Fortnite streamer Ninja[1]. ### Where did Ligma come from? The joke existed on social media as early as May 2018, when Instagram user Galevik used it in a video[4]. It went mainstream in July 2018 after Instagram user ninja_hater created a fake death hoax for Ninja, and another user added that the streamer had died from "Ligma disease"[3]. ### What does Ligma mean? "Ligma" is a phonetic play on "lick my." The joke is structurally identical to older traps like "bofa deez nuts" and "updog," where the humor comes from getting someone to unwittingly ask a question that sets up a crude punchline[5]. ### How do you use Ligma? Mention "ligma" in a casual context, making it sound like a real disease, place, or event. When the target asks "What's ligma?", respond with "ligma balls"[1]. Variations include fake news headlines, mock medical reports, and elaborate copypasta setups[3]. ### Is Ligma still popular? Ligma peaked in July-August 2018 but has shown lasting cultural reach. The "Rahul Ligma" prank at Twitter HQ in October 2022 proved the joke still worked on mainstream audiences four years later[5]. Fact-checkers were still debunking ligma-related hoaxes as late as 2021[5]. ### Did Ninja actually die from Ligma? No. Tyler "Ninja" Blevins is alive and well. The death hoax was entirely fabricated by Instagram trolls starting with the account ninja_hater on July 16, 2018[3]. Ninja disproved the rumors by streaming and posting to social media later that same day[4]. ### Who started the Ninja Ligma hoax? Instagram user ninja_hater created the original "Ninja in heaven" image on July 16, 2018[3]. The next day, Instagram user foster.roach reposted it with the claim that Ninja died from "Ligma"[4]. The two posts together created the hoax. ### Why did the Ninja death hoax work? Ninja streamed a minimum of 12 hours daily and was at the peak of his Fortnite fame in mid-2018[3]. When he went quiet for part of a day, fans noticed the unusual silence, which gave the fake story just enough plausibility to spread[7]. ### What happened with the Rahul Ligma prank? In October 2022, two improv actors posed as fired Twitter employees named "Rahul Ligma" and "Daniel Johnson" outside Twitter HQ during Elon Musk's takeover. Multiple major news outlets reported the prank as real before realizing the names were jokes[5]. ### Did Xbox really ban the gamertag "Ligma"? Yes. In August 2018, Microsoft renamed the "Ligma" and "MrsLigma" Xbox gamertags after receiving complaints. The owner protested that the name was over 12 years old and predated the meme. After a Reddit campaign supporting the gamer, Microsoft restored the original gamertag[5]. ### What are the Ligma spin-off jokes? The ligma wave spawned several related traps: "Sugma" ("suck my"), "Sugondese" ("suck on these," framed as a nationality), "Grabahan" ("grab a hand full of deez nuts"), and a revival of the older "Bofa" ("both of deez nuts") joke[4]. ### Did PewDiePie cover the Ligma meme? Yes. On July 22, 2018, PewDiePie posted a Meme Review video titled "NINJA GOT LIGMA" that hit nearly 5 million views in its first 24 hours[3]. His coverage, along with DramaAlert and Scarce, brought the combined view count to roughly 7 million within days[3]. ## References 1. [Ninja fans won’t stop joking about Ligma, a fake disease hoax | The Verge]() 2. [What Is Ligma and Does Fortnite Streamer Ninja Really Have It?]() 3. [Ninja’s death hoax creator addresses the viral ligma meme]() 4. [Ligma - Know Your Meme]() 5. [Ligma joke]() 6. [Ligma - Urban Dictionary]() 7. [What is Ligma? Fortnite streamer Ninja's fictional disease]() 8. [Earnthenecklace | Interesting Facts and Wikis of Your Favourite Celebs and the Entertainment World]() 9. [Fortnite streamer Ninja hit with death hoax and 'Ligma' disease claims | Daily Mail Online]() 10. [What is ligma? The fictional disease involved in Fortnite streamer Ninja's death hoax | Metro News]() 11. [What Is Ligma and Does Fortnite Streamer Ninja Really Have It?]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/ligma Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library