Students gathered for Ma’amad as the new Head of Upper School, Jess Adams, bravely gave a D’var Torah. Students were left in shock after she mentioned that she is married to former Houston Texans’ offensive lineman Jeff Adams, who she then said played in the National Football League (NFL) for six to seven years. Immediately, the entire student body erupted as the crowd chanted “Six-Seven!”
Written as sixty-seven but pronounced as “six seven,” the meme originally came from a unique line in Skrilla’s song “Doot Doot 67.” Since then, the “67 meme” has gained a hand signal, where people alternate swinging their arms up and down, and spread everywhere, gaining popularity through the Overtime Elite Basketball League, baseball TikTok memes called “Mason 67,” and Instagram posts on accounts such as Rap and MLB. MLB in particular would post videos with the “Doot Doot 67” song every time the score was 6-7, or whenever the umpire would move his arms up and down to signal a bobbled ball.
After the students settled down, Mrs. Adams was left perplexed, asking the other faculty members for an explanation as to why the crowd clamoured in response to what she had said. When asked about the aftermath of her D’var Torah, she said, “When I first heard everyone laughing, I thought I’d ripped my pants or something, but since then, I’ve heard it everywhere … I’ve even talked to my parents and every time 67 is said, we all laugh. It’s something that everyone is able to connect on.”
As the meme continued to gain popularity on social media, it began rapidly spreading, ultimately reaching countries beyond the United States. When one of Emery’s Leo Baeck exchange students, Hila Nemetsky, was asked if she knew what 67 was, she said, “Of course, but we say it in Hebrew instead of saying it in English.”
The official NFL season’s commercial is played to Skrilla’s song, with players constantly doing the 67 sign. As you walk the halls of The Emery/Weiner School, you will see and hear people left and right saying, “67!” And recently, dictionary.com released their word of the year, which was 67, cementing its global impact.
Many students believe that one student in particular embodies the spirit of the internet sensation best. You can hear Senior Jose Duek (Pictured) throughout the hallways yelling “67!,” and everyone who is in a room with him immediately looks over whenever the phrase is said. Duek states that “it is up for interpretation. Unlike other jokes, this one is not offensive and anyone can say it at any time.”
He insists that the joke is not just a TikTok meme, but it “is helping the world.” He says, “Anyone who encounters the joke always ends up with a smile on their face, which to me is truly special.”
