The 'Horizontally Spinning Rat' meme features a low-quality, 3D-rendered model of a rat rotating on a horizontal axis, frequently set to the high-tempo guitar solo from Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Free Bird.' Originating from early 2020s internet culture, the meme gained massive traction on platforms like YouTube and TikTok due to its absurdist, 'shitposting' aesthetic. It represents a peak of irony, where the sheer simplicity and lack of context provide the core humor. Often used as a non-sequitur or to represent a state of mental exhaustion or 'brain rot,' the spinning rat has become a staple of modern surreal internet humor.