The 'Loneliness Party' (寂寞党) meme emerged from the Chinese internet in 2009, sparked by a photo of a man eating noodles with the caption, 'What Brother is eating isn't noodles, it's loneliness.' This catchphrase quickly became a viral phenomenon on platforms like Baidu Tieba, representing a specific type of internet melancholy mixed with ironic self-deprecation. The meme is used to turn mundane, everyday actions—like eating, walking, or playing games—into grand statements of existential isolation. It characterizes a generation of netizens finding humor in their shared sense of boredom and solitude, eventually forming an imaginary 'party' for those who feel the same.