Jon Hamm’s Viral Meme Moment: How a Club Dance Clip Became Internet Gold

Jon Hamm is no stranger to headlines—but lately, it’s a three-second dance clip, not Mad Men, that has everyone on TikTok and Instagram saying his name. At 54, the actor finds himself at the center of a viral moment far beyond anything he could’ve predicted, calling the experience both “mystifying and adorable.”

From Dark Comedy to Dancing Meme

The dance that launched a thousand memes comes from Your Friends & Neighbors, the Apple TV+ dark comedy in which Hamm plays Andrew “Coop” Cooper—a disgraced hedge fund manager who resorts to robbing his wealthy friends and neighbors just to maintain appearances. In episode 8 of season 1, Coop, bruised and breaking, finds himself in a nightclub, eyes closed, lost in the music. Though the show score uses a track by Joseph William Morgan called “Sentient System,” online creators have replaced it with something much more nostalgic.

That replacement track? “Turn The Lights Off,” a 2010 EDM song by Danish DJ Kato featuring vocals by Jon Nørgaard. The combination of Hamm’s serene dance and Kato’s energetic throwback beat caught on like wildfire. Within weeks, the meme format began popping up everywhere, representing moments of escape, joy, or even relief in the face of life’s escalating adult-ing demands.

Memes, Metrics, and Millennial Nostalgia

By November 2025, the song saw approximately 40 million streams on Spotify. It surged to top spots—No. 2 and No. 4—on the Global Top 50 of Viral Songs. Suddenly, a decade-old EDM track was back in rotation, powered by memes and feeling. Meanwhile, Hamm’s dance is now recycled in videos from “me when I finally finish work” to “me after putting the kids to bed,” tapping into a widespread craving for mini-moments of bliss.

Meme analysts note that it even first took off in Russia during October 2025, before spreading globally. Its rise coincides with the announcement that Your Friends & Neighbors would return for season 2, officially premiering on April 3, 2026—which only intensified interest in the show and the dance itself.

Hamm’s Take: Positive, Playful, and Pleasant

Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere of the animated film Hoppers on February 23, 2026, Hamm addressed his meme status. He acknowledged the scene’s virality, noting he didn’t expect to become meme-worthy “at the ripe old age of 54.” He called being associated with something “pleasant rather than something negative” a gift.

“Mystifying and adorable,” he said—words that capture the unplanned joy he sees in being part of global meme culture. He doesn’t mind that he didn’t directly profit from the meme’s creation; what matters is the warmth it’s generated and the fact that he’s being remembered for a moment of genuine connection rather than a scandal or controversy.

What’s Next: Meme, Show, and Beyond

With season 2 of Your Friends & Neighbors debuting April 3, 2026, the reach of Hamm’s dance may grow even more, opening up possibilities for new viral moments. The series will continue following Coop’s darkly comedic misadventures, now with fresh stakes as he interacts with new characters like one played by James Marsden.

In parallel, the curious case of the song’s re-emergence reveals how the music industry leverages viral usage: the original 2010 version remains a streaming hit, while new recordings of “Turn The Lights Off” have been released to capitalize on the moment. Writers of all versions are seeing earnings across versions—all thanks to the unexpected life given to a clip of Hamm dancing with his eyes closed.

“It’s certainly nice to be known for something pleasant rather than something negative. I find it mystifying and adorable at the same time.” - Jon Hamm

Whether you first saw him on Mad Men or caught the meme mid scroll, this moment shows just how untethered pop culture has become—where the tiniest flicker of expression on screen can swell into a global sensation.

Hamm’s viral dancing isn’t just a meme. It’s proof that joy, when authentic (or staged convincingly), resonates—and sometimes, that alone is enough to capture the world’s attention.