The #BowWowChallenge was born in May 2017 after rapper Bow Wow posted a photo of a private jet on Instagram, implying he was traveling in luxury. However, a passenger on a regular commercial flight spotted him in coach and shared a photo of him sitting in a standard seat. This contrast between a glamorous social media persona and a humbler reality sparked a viral trend where users posted side-by-side images of their supposed 'lavish' lifestyles next to the mundane truth. The meme is a staple of internet culture, used to poke fun at the performative nature of social media and the 'fake it til you make it' mentality.