The Microwave Challenge emerged as a viral sensation on TikTok in early 2019, set to the melancholic opening of Joji's song 'Slow Dancing in the Dark.' In this challenge, users would sit on the floor and pivot their bodies in a smooth, continuous circle without using their hands, mimicking the rotation of a turntable inside a microwave oven. While the trend initially focused on the impressive physical coordination required to stay perfectly level, it quickly evolved into a broader meme format. Today, the Microwave Challenge represents anything being 'heated up' or someone simply 'spacing out' and rotating mentally, often accompanied by the characteristic 'MMMMMM' hum or the iconic triple-beep of a finished timer.