Soyjacking, sometimes spelled Soyjaking, is any act that involves the creation or use of memes that feature the Soyjak character. This version of the well-known Wojak genre is meant to represent negative qualities in a person, especially anything associated with a lack of masculinity according to a certain kind of individual.
The Soyjak has become a feature in a long list of meme formats including the "two Soyjaks pointing" and the "Soyjak vs. Chad."
Soyjak is a character named after the original Wojak but with the word "soy" in his name as a reference to the false idea that eating a lot of soy-based foods will make someone less of a man because they contain some level of a certain type of estrogen. And a man having more of a hormone culturally associated with women is a terrible thing, of course.
The Soyjak is therefore often depicted as screaming, crying, whining, and generally being weak and ineffectual, or having incorrect opinions about things according to the person making or spreading the meme he's in.
This meme guy appeared on 4chan around September 2017 as a depiction of what was then called the "nu-male," or any man who doesn't strictly conform to traditional male gender norms. Wearing glasses, having a beard that wasn't thick and full enough, and daring to smile about anything could get you classified as a "nu-male" according to 4chan weirdos.
Originally, Soyjak was depicted as being excited about anything not considered manly or good enough for their tastes, such as the Nintendo Switch. He simply exists there, looking at the desired object with his mouth open but otherwise expressionless, and his joy is considered to be worthy of mockery.
Other Soyjacking memes compare him to characters considered to be idealized versions of men by 4chan types, especially the Chad. He may also be compared to himself, shown with a neutral or bored expression when faced with a generic object or place and then with his mouth huge in excitement when that thing is associated with Japan in the "thing, Japan" meme.
Additionally, he's been paired with other versions of Soyjaks, including one with a larger body type, pointing at things they're both hyped over or the larger Soyjak might be showing you something cool on his phone.
Soyjak is not always used in a derogatory sense, however. Those who appreciate and value joy began to appropriate him to genuinely express excitement and happiness around interests, good news in headlines, and cool science facts.
In particular, men who are not afraid of letting themselves feel and show happiness just because some dorks might think it's not manly have pushed to change the perception of the so-called Soyjak. They've also developed a new meme format explicitly mocking those who try to win arguments with Soyjak vs. Chad memes.
This format often includes images of well-known fictional villains saying some version of the statement, "It's too late, I've already drawn you as the Soyjak and me as the Chad."
The use of the Soyjak became so prevalent online that people came up with a verb to describe the act. Soyjacking may refer to simply creating a new meme within the format or it may be used in a derogatory sense to describe those who attack people based on ideals associated with toxic masculinity.
Alternatively, some may use the term to attack others in exactly this manner. An Urban Dictionary entry from October 29, 2021, defines Soyjacking as "forcing a sigma male (presumably the aggressor is female) into giving a desired outcome." This male person would therefore be referred to as a "simp," according to the entry.
The term "sussy Soyjak" appears to have originated in a YouTube video posted on November 5, 2023, that dubs over a scene in the Five Nights at Freddy's film. In the clip, a character addresses others in creepy teddy bear costumes, calling them "sigmas" and "skibidi toilet" and "woke, Among Us sussy Soyjaks."
The gag mocks the absurdity of a lot of Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang and how strange it sounds in out-of-context situations.
The word "sussy" is simply a variation of "sus," a shortening of the word "suspicious" that became popular thanks to the video game Among Us. A "sussy Soyjak" would therefore be anyone who displays the presumed characteristics of a Soyjak who is also untrustworthy or who lacks authenticity.
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