The 'The Rot Consumes' meme is a staple of surreal and void-style internet humor, often used to humorously depict a state of mental exhaustion or the overwhelming influence of 'brain rot' content. Originating from deep-fried and distorted imagery in the early 2020s, the phrase suggests a slow, inevitable decay—either of the mind, a character, or a specific situation. It gained massive traction on platforms like TikTok and Twitter, where users pair the ominous text with images of characters gradually disintegrating or losing their sanity. The meme resonates with a generation chronically online, serving as both a critique of digital overconsumption and a nihilistic expression of modern existential dread.