R&B fans might have been surprised to wake up to find singer Omarion’s name trending on Twitter this morning, as he hasn’t announced a new album and isn’t the type to get himself into the sort of legal trouble that usually prompts widespread discussion of a legacy artist. Instead, curious Twitter users would have found that there’s a new variant of COVID-19 roaming the streets, after “Black Twitter” noticed the similarities between “omicron” and “Omarion” and have apparently decided the latter is not only much catchier but also riper for making memes.
Thought that shit said Omarion… https://t.co/zOxkQ8lTf7 pic.twitter.com/AQDY91bK6J
— 𝙽𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚎 🧡 (@TrudiiBee) November 26, 2021
I say we all just agree to call it the Omarion variant and stop debating how it's pronounced. pic.twitter.com/532tJtrBTU
— Ced™ (@cedfunches) November 30, 2021
And so, we’ve gotten a slew of clips from Omarion’s 2005 “Touch” video with cheeky captions like, “Not the Omarion variant and the booster having a lil tussle” and “The Omarion Variant chasing me down like.” There are also other jokey captions roasting the singer’s recent performance in Chicago that has apparently gone (ahem) viral on TikTok, with one user quipping, “They say in order to keep the Omarion Variant away, you have to do this routine 3 times in the mirror.”
https://twitter.com/Kamifaine/status/1465524821228466176
You see how he never really catches her? Get your booster ☝🏽 https://t.co/f8KXLrnhvk
— Jannifer Gao 🌶 (@Jani__Gee) November 30, 2021
https://twitter.com/aura_of_gold/status/1465556026917376000
Of course, in the face of a scary new mutation of the COVID-19 virus, using a little humor to lighten the mood serves an important purpose even as it highlights the need for these scientists to come up with better names for things (I’m no Greek expert, but it seems like they skipped a bunch of letters between delta and omicron, no?). Still, though, get your vaccine, if you’re vaccinated, get your booster, and continue to practice safety measures like distancing and wearing a mask in public — we’re not out of the woods yet. Check out more “Omarion variant” jokes below.
Finding humor in this pandemonium is what’s helped me get through this thing. Cus the way I been chuckling at y’all calling it the damn Omarion Variant?! pic.twitter.com/E0iAewFATO
— Cindy Noir✨ (@thecindynoir) November 30, 2021
Good morning everyone, please stay extra safe with this new Omarion variant pic.twitter.com/cSV2Gm0fvw
— follow @jaleesaXDDD (@JaleesaRawrXD) November 30, 2021
y’all talking about the Omarion variant and i’m over here thinking y’all talking about O’Ryan 😅
— ICYESTTWAT (@FUCCl) November 30, 2021
https://twitter.com/StarrburyMike/status/1465695269232668685
https://twitter.com/justinc_l/status/1464483911493423108
When the Omarion variant get in your body & got you out here about to do it for Lil Saint #omarionvariant pic.twitter.com/0oP1iRzlo4
— Dominique LaBome (@KissMyLaBome) November 30, 2021
That Omarion variant gon have unvaxxed folks doing this? pic.twitter.com/e5hXHMz9Sd
— jujoffer (@jujoffer) November 27, 2021
So Black people are just going to be calling it the Omarion variant till further notice. Got it
— Tracie Hunte (@TracieHunte) November 29, 2021