The Brief: The latest viral TikTok meme video features a housecat and the 1954 song "Mr. Sandman" by the Chordettes.

DEEP DIVE
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a person on the internet must be in want of a funny cat video. This week, the cat video that’s capturing everyone’s attention comes from TikTok in Mr. Sandman Cat videos and memes.
The Original
The creators of the original Mr. Sandman Cat video are a 17-year-old high school student named Jade Taylor-Ryan (@jade13tr) and her chonky cat, Ed. Using the nine-split-screen effect, Jade swings Ed over the screen in dance-like movements to the 1954 tune “Mr. Sandman” by The Chordettes. This perfectly delightful video has received over 1.3 million likes on TikTok and has been widely shared on other social media platforms.
Mr. Sandman TikTok Memes
This extremely popular cat video was not the first Mr. Sandman TikTok meme. It’s part of a larger TikTok trend in which people sing along to the song with the nine-split-screen effect.
More Mr. Sandman Cat Videos
Jade and Ed’s video has inspired dozens of copycats, in which cats express varying levels of rage at being made to dance…
Twitter Reactions
Although it started on TikTok, this meme has gained significant traction on Twitter where people are creating fan-art, making videos with other pets, and expressing how much they love watching the original Mr. Sandman cat video.
Mr. Sandman pic.twitter.com/TZAXHArfB6
— Verisso (@vanverisso) August 18, 2019
me:
my brain: MR SANDMAN CAT TIK TOK.mp4— bonnie (@bonniequeue) August 17, 2019
A meme from Michael Cohen’s testimony before Congress:
When someone asks me how many times I’ve watched that TikTok video of the cat dancing to Mr Sandman
pic.twitter.com/Ls56or6BT9— OptaDean (@DeanDuckworth) August 18, 2019
I had to 🐹 #MrSandman #guineapig pic.twitter.com/ydBvWyFwbX
— ᴍᴊ (@MariaServee) August 18, 2019
therapy: expensive
that tik tok of the cat with Mr. Sandman playing in the background: free
— Ana (@ana_isab3lla) August 17, 2019
One of many KPOP stan remixes:
jungkook mr sandman pic.twitter.com/WEjVWZFLQg
— s ツ (@uhkooo) August 19, 2019