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On HBO Max\u2019s hit medical drama The Pitt<\/em>, Katherine LaNasa<\/a> plays Dana, the no-nonsense ER charge nurse known for her sharp one-liners delivered in a Pittsburgh-ish<\/a> accent. But one three-word phrase of hers in particular has turned into an unlikely internet fixation over the course of its second season: \u201cBaby Jane Doe<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite its somber origin \u2014 for those who don\u2019t know, it refers to an infant abandoned at the hospital \u2014 the phrase has gone viral and is sparking joy across social media. On TikTok, people are racking up likes posting hilarious Dana impressions<\/a>. There are sourdough starters<\/a> named \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 \u201cBaby Jane Dough.\u201d And of course, what\u2019s a meme without some merch? Fans can now buy \u201cBaby Jane Doe\u201d t-shirts, stickers and more<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sure, some of this is par for the course when a meme catches on like wildfire. But many social media users say the phrase lives rent-free in their heads<\/a> (mine included) and that they can\u2019t stop repeating it. As one TikTok user<\/a> put it: \u201cI\u2019m so sorry to everyone around me that has to hear me do this every five seconds.\u201d Even the Pitt\u2019<\/em>s cast members<\/a> can\u2019t help themselves.<\/p>\n Pop culture historian Marie Nicola<\/a> says the phrase isn\u2019t just catchy \u2014 it\u2019s compulsive. Many are calling it their new vocal stim, which is a word or phrase you repeat because it\u2019s oddly satisfying, comforting or just stuck in your head. \u201cYou can\u2019t help it,\u201d Nicola tells Yahoo. \u201cIt scratches an itch.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s making linguistics experts like Jennifer Nycz<\/a> wonder: \u201cIs this the adult 6-7<\/a>?\u201d<\/p>\n Even though it\u2019s wildly popular, the meme didn\u2019t blow up overnight. While the Baby Jane Doe storyline has been around since the first episode of Season 2 premiered on Jan. 8, Pitt <\/em>fans started to pick up on Dana\u2019s repeated references to the case \u2014\u00a0like the Episode 3 line, \u201cJust checked on Baby Jane Doe. Looking good. Taking formula well.\u201d Nicola explains that about three weeks later, the phrase started gaining traction online. \u201cThere was the first video where a woman shared it as her new vocal stim<\/a>,\u201d she says. From there, \u201cBaby Jane Doe\u201d snowballed. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not slowing down.\u201d<\/p>\n Part of what makes it stick is LaNasa\u2019s punchy delivery. Without that Pittsburgh-inspired accent, the words wouldn\u2019t have landed the same way. Nycz, an associate professor of linguistics at Georgetown University, notes that \u201cBaby Jane Doe\u201d also has a natural, percussive rhythm to it \u2014 \u201cda-da-da-da\u201d \u2014 that makes it easy to repeat. \u201cIt\u2019s three simple words,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n But beyond that, Nicola points out that it\u2019s just fun to say. \u201cIt’s joyful, and there’s nothing problematic about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes, memes can be downright silly and ridiculous (skibidi toilet, anyone<\/a>?), but ones like Baby Jane Doe also deliver a much-needed jolt of joy. Nicola says that when the world feels unstable and stressful, people \u201cgravitate toward moments of levity.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s also something reassuring about a highly competent ER nurse delivering the quiet message that things are going to be OK. \u201cHer manner speaks to people in this moment when everyone’s tired and even just the littlest hint of good news, [that] this baby that was left on the doorstep is doing better,\u201d feels good, says Nycz.<\/p>\n Nicola agrees, saying that even though the meme comes from a dark place (an abandoned baby), there\u2019s also light at the end of the tunnel. \u201cShe’s taking formula well \u2014 it\u2019s hopeful,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Sharing memes like Baby Jane Doe that are playful, low-stakes and a little absurd also creates connection. \u201cPsychologically, we want belonging,\u201d Nicola says. \u201cWe\u2019re hardwired to have these little words and things that show we’re a part of a club.\u201d<\/p>\n Nycz adds there\u2019s even a linguistics term for it: intertextuality, or sharing references, whether it\u2019s from a meme, book, song or TV show, which shows you\u2019re on the same wavelength. \u201cIf I quote Ghostbusters<\/em> and you get my media reference, then that kind of shows we’re in alignment, right? We were both alive in the early \u201880s. It\u2019s a little signal that someone puts out, and if people understand it, then they feel alignment with you. Like, Oh, <\/em>I get that reference<\/em><\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBaby Jane Doe\u201d is exactly that: a shared, bite-sized inside joke \u2014 and a reminder that, at least somewhere, things are looking good.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nHow did such a niche phrase become a viral earworm?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The feel-good meme we needed<\/strong><\/h2>\n