The WHAT HOW meme, often associated with the Sanctuary Guardian theme from the video game EarthBound, features images or videos of surreal, impossible, or bizarre situations. It gained massive popularity in late 2019 and early 2020 as a core part of the '21st Century Humor' aesthetic. The meme relies on minimalist, bold text—typically just the words 'WHAT' or 'HOW'—to emphasize absolute confusion and disbelief. Its absurdity is often heightened by fast-paced, glitchy audio, making it a staple of modern shitposting and internet irony across platforms like Reddit and Twitter.