On HBO Max’s hit medical drama The Pitt, Katherine LaNasa plays Dana, the no-nonsense ER charge nurse known for her sharp one-liners delivered in a Pittsburgh accent. But one three-word phrase of hers in particular has turned into an unlikely internet fixation over the course of its second season: Baby Jane Doe.

Despite its somber origin — for those who don’t know, it refers to an infant abandoned at the hospital — the phrase has gone viral and is sparking joy across social media. On TikTok, people are racking up likes posting hilarious Dana impressions. There are sourdough starters named — you guessed it — “Baby Jane Dough.” And of course, what’s a meme without some merch? Fans can now buy Baby Jane Doe T-shirts, stickers and more.

Sure, some of this is par for the course when a meme catches on. But many social media users say the phrase lives rent-free in their heads (mine included) and that they can’t stop repeating it. As one TikTok user put it: “I’m so sorry to everyone around me that has to hear me do this every five seconds.” Even The Pitt’s cast members can’t help themselves.

Pop culture historian Marie Nicola says the phrase isn’t just catchy — it’s compulsive. Many are calling it their new vocal stim, which is a word or phrase you repeat because it’s oddly satisfying, comforting or just stuck in your head. “You can’t help it,” Nicola tells Yahoo. “It scratches an itch.”

It’s making linguists like Jennifer Nycz wonder: “Is this the adult 6-7?”

How did such a niche phrase become a viral earworm?

Even though it’s wildly popular, the meme didn’t blow up overnight. While the Baby Jane Doe storyline has been around since the first episode of Season 2 premiered on Jan. 8, Pitt fans started to pick up on Dana’s repeated references to the case — like the Episode 3 line, “Just checked on Baby Jane Doe. Looking good. Taking formula well.” Nicola explains that about three weeks later, the phrase started gaining traction online. “There was the first video where a woman shared it as her new vocal stim,” she says. From there, Baby Jane Doe snowballed. “And it’s not slowing down.”

Part of what makes it stick is LaNasa’s punchy delivery. Without that Pittsburgh-inspired accent, the words wouldn’t have landed the same way. Nycz, an associate professor of linguistics at Georgetown University, notes that Baby Jane Doe also has a natural, percussive rhythm to it — “da-da-da-da” — that makes it easy to repeat. “It’s three simple words,” she says.

But beyond that, Nicola points out that it’s just fun to say. “It's joyful, and there's nothing problematic about it.”

The feel-good meme we needed

Yes, memes can be downright silly and ridiculous (skibidi toilet, anyone?), but ones like Baby Jane Doe also deliver a much-needed jolt of joy. Nicola says that when the world feels unstable and stressful, people “gravitate toward moments of levity.”

There’s also something reassuring about a highly competent ER nurse delivering the quiet message that things are going to be OK. “Her manner speaks to people in this moment when everyone's tired and even just the littlest hint of good news, [that] this baby that was left on the doorstep is doing better,” feels good, says Nycz.

Nicola agrees, saying that even though the meme comes from a dark place (an abandoned baby), there’s also light at the end of the tunnel. “She's taking formula well — it’s hopeful,” she says.

Sharing memes like Baby Jane Doe that are playful, low-stakes and a little absurd also creates connection. “Psychologically, we want belonging,” Nicola says. “We’re hardwired to have these little words and things that show we're a part of a club.”

Nycz adds there’s even a linguistics term for it: intertextuality, or sharing references, whether it’s from a meme, book, song or TV show, which shows you’re on the same wavelength. “If I quote Ghostbusters and you get my media reference, then that kind of shows we're in alignment, right? We were both alive in the early ‘80s. It’s a little signal that someone puts out, and if people understand it, then they feel alignment with you. Like, Oh, I get that reference.”

Baby Jane Doe is exactly that: a shared, bite-sized inside joke — and a reminder that, at least somewhere, things are looking good.