“Were rats were rats” is a meme phrase that people usually use to point back to Jerma985’s Rat Movie universe, especially the opening chant from Rat Movie: Mystery of the Mayan Treasure.
People know the line as a surreal, repeated lyric that sounds funny out of context. The phrase became popular because of Jerma’s delivery and the clip’s absurd energy.
The phrase can look like a typo at first, since the wording is often repeated in a chant-like way and appears in several slightly different forms online.
In practice, you usually see a fandom phrase, a quote from a comedy bit, or a copy-pasted meme rather than a formal line with a single fixed spelling.
What The Phrase Refers To
The phrase points to the opening chant associated with Jerma985’s Rat Movie material, especially the line that begins, “Rats, rats, we’re the rats.”
People remember the repeated phrasing, even when they write it as “were rats were rats” or another near-match.
The chant structure stands out, not strict grammar.
People repeat the line because it is short, rhythmic, and strange enough to stick after one listen.
You associate it with Jerma985 because he created the Rat Movie joke and popularized the delivery on YouTube.
The phrase became part of his broader comedy identity, so viewers often connect the wording directly to him.
Other rat memes usually focus on cute animals, chaos, or pest jokes.
This one stands out because it comes from a scripted, performative comedy scene, not just a reaction image or a random animal clip.
Where It Came From In Rat Movie
Jerma985 released Rat Movie: Mystery of the Mayan Treasure in 2014 as a comedy short listed on IMDb as a film about bank robbers and sentient rats.
The opening chant introduces the rats as a collective and sets the tone for the movie’s intentionally ridiculous logic.
In the movie, the rats act like a theatrical gang.
Their dialogue pushes the joke forward.
The repeated chant gives the characters a mock-epic identity while keeping the whole premise silly.
The most quoted line leads into the declaration about the giant rat that makes the rules.
That mix of repetition and self-importance turns the scene into a meme.
The treasure plot gives the rats a goal.
The treasure chest acts as the centerpiece of the absurd adventure.
The contrast between a dramatic treasure hunt and talking rats is a big part of the joke.
Why The Quote Spread Online
The line spread because it is instantly quotable, easy to remix, and funny even when you only hear a fragment of it.
As the clip circulated on youtube, it fit perfectly into repost culture and the kind of copy-pasted humor that thrives on repetition.
Jerma’s delivery sells the joke because he treats nonsense like a serious anthem.
That contrast makes the line work both as a standalone gag and as part of the full scene.
Short video clips helped the quote travel.
Reposts turned it into a recognizable meme phrase.
You also see it mutate into copypasta because the rhythm is easy to imitate and slightly alter.
Why The Line Still Gets Referenced
The phrase captures an internet-era style of humor in just a few words.
People tie it to Jerma, to youtube clip culture, and to the kind of absurd repetition that they enjoy repeating long after the original context fades.
