Cheese Slap is a prank format where someone throws or slaps a slice of processed cheese onto a person's or animal's face, then films the reaction. It started on YouTube in 2006 and blew up on Twitter and TikTok in late 2018 and early 2019, often set to The Village People's YMCA.
Origin
The earliest documented Cheese Slap video is The Cheese Incident, posted by YouTuber arsone62 on June 9th, 2006, showing a series of people getting a cheese slice thrown at them[3]. Urban Dictionary entries from the same era credit a user named CPDunbar with performing the prank in summer 2006 and treating it as a way to gauge a friend's reaction[2].
A few months later, on September 23rd, 2006, YouTuber blue2relick uploaded another early cheese slap prank clip, and YouTuber madcowowow followed with a version on January 15th, 2008[3]. The format stayed a low-key YouTube prank for about a decade before jumping to newer platforms.
- Platform: YouTube (2006 origin) / Twitter and TikTok (2018-2019 viral spread)
- Creator: arsone62 (YouTube)
- Date: 2006
Overview
Cheese Slap, also called Cheesing or the Cheese Challenge, is a prank in which someone throws or slaps a single slice of processed cheese onto another person's or animal's face and films the reaction[3]. The gag works because the cheese sticks for a second before peeling off, giving the target a beat of confusion before they react. Urban Dictionary entries describe wetting the slice slightly and aiming for someone asleep or an unsuspecting pet for maximum effect[2].
While the basic act is dumb by design, the format picked up a distinct visual identity during its 2018 viral run: single-slice American cheese, a startled face, and often The Village People's YMCA playing over the top[3]. A spin-off called Dog Cheese, where the target is specifically a dog, became one of the most shared versions online[3].
How It Spread
In November 2018, TikTok users started tossing cheese slices at mirrors while YMCA played, giving the old prank a new soundtrack[3]. On November 10th, 2018, Twitter user @blargmyschnoople [4] posted the Dog Cheese tweet, framing landing a slice on a dog as a game, and the post picked up around 126,000 likes and 27,000 retweets[3]. TikTokers then merged Dog Cheese into the wider Cheese Slap trend through December 2018, and Cool TikToks published an early compilation on December 27th, 2018[3].
The real explosion came on February 28th, 2019, when Twitter user @unclehxlmes posted a clip of a cheese slice being tossed onto a child's face. It hit more than 10.3 million views, 750,000 likes and 250,000 retweets before being deleted[3]. The next day, @unclehxlmes [5] tweeted that he pulled it because things got "way out of hand"[3]. In the same 24-hour window, @annaclairerusso's version drew over 12.7 million views and 830,000 likes, and @TEJAX001's clip of him cheesing his cousin crossed 520,000 views within a week[3].
On March 3rd, 2019, Twitter user @nasiijau posted an animated parody with a Scorbunny Pokemon taking the slap, showing the format had jumped from real pranks into fan art and remixes[3]. From there, Cheese Slap settled in as a recurring joke template that resurfaces whenever a new pet or baby reaction video hits the timeline.
How to Use
A typical Cheese Slap video is short and single-take: film a person or pet who isn't paying attention, throw or press a slice of processed American cheese onto their face, and let the reaction play out unedited. The 2018 TikTok convention often paired the throw with the horn hit in YMCA[3], and some creators labeled the cheese with a caption like "my love and affection" to add a punchline on top of the prank[3]. For the Dog Cheese variant, the goal is simply landing the slice on the dog's snout in one try[3].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cheese Slap?
Cheese Slap is a prank video format in which someone throws a slice of processed cheese onto another person's or animal's face and films the reaction, often set to YMCA[3].
Where did Cheese Slap come from?
The earliest known clip is The Cheese Incident, posted by YouTuber arsone62 on June 9th, 2006[3]. Urban Dictionary entries from the same era credit CPDunbar with popularizing it offline in summer 2006[2].
What does Cheese Slap mean?
It refers to slapping or tossing a single slice of plastic-wrapped cheese at someone, ideally while they are asleep or an animal that isn't paying attention[2].
How do you use Cheese Slap?
Film a short reaction clip: throw a slice of American cheese at a face in one take, often synced to YMCA, or target a pet in the Dog Cheese variant popularized by @blargmyschnoople in November 2018[3].
Is Cheese Slap still popular?
It peaked on Twitter and TikTok in late 2018 and early 2019, when @unclehxlmes's since-deleted clip cleared 10 million views, and it stayed a classic prank template revived in pet and baby videos afterward[3].
