“Did you know you have 30 minutes?” – explanation

That One Sound is a column by internet culture journalist Charlotte Colombo in which she explores the origins of popular sounds heard on TikTok.

Ever feel like you’re running out of time? The people of TikTok do. And this new sound is here to call you out. It’s familiar, memorable, and a representation of a reality TV legend — so it’s no surprise it’s been used more than 125,000 times. Here’s what we know about “Did you know you have 30 minutes?”

@mattheperson

girl doom

♬ love island is chaotic – quinta

Sound

As suspenseful music plays in the background, a woman’s voice asks, “Did you know you have 30 minutes?” Ironically, the audio itself isn’t even close to 30 minutes long—it’s only a few seconds long. But it’s long enough to be instantly believable.

TikTokers use this sound to create perspectives on situations where we worry in one way or another about not having enough time. So there are a lot of related TikToks about eternal preparation and time blindness.

But as is usually the case with memes, they are becoming increasingly abstract and verbose. Hence, TikToks about New York’s climate doomsday clock, short-lived friend groups, and going nonverbal.

@miacherisehall like my shoes why are you in your pajamas baby #neuroatypical #autism #adhd #audhd ♬ love island is messy – quinta

Where is this from?

The sound is from a reality show from the 2000s. Taste of loveThe series, which proved to be a hit for VH1, was a dating show in which 20 women competed for the attention of rapper Flavor Flav.

One of the women who uttered this line was Tiffany Pollard. She appeared on the show in two different seasons, and although she never won, her consolation prize was becoming a reality TV personality.

The clip first appeared on TikTok in a video posted on August 17. It had the form Love Island meme that has been viewed 3.5 million times so far.

@qxintxnxx how darling, they said I’ll be out in 30, why are you sitting on the patio and being offended #loveisland #andrea #rob #trendy #fypage #viral edit: DON’T TAG HER IN THE COMMENTS BECAUSE YOU’RE #messy ♬ love island is messyyy – quinta

Take a stand

This isn’t the first time Pollard has had a taste of viral fame. You know that widely used GIF of someone sitting carefree in sunglasses? It’s none other than Pollard on her own reality show, I love New York.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, Pollard inadvertently caused mass hysteria during his stay in Celebrities in Big Brother house. She mistakenly thought roommate David Guest was dead, and “David’s dead” has since become a part of pop culture history. So with that sound, it’s safe to say Pollard’s done it again.

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