The '$600 Stimmy' meme emerged in late 2020 and early 2021 following the U.S. government's decision to issue a second round of COVID-19 relief checks in the amount of $600. The internet immediately reacted with sarcasm, highlighting the perceived inadequacy of the sum relative to months of economic hardship. Memes typically depict people acting like high-rolling millionaires with their relatively small payout, sarcastically buying luxury cars or 'retiring' on the spot. It serves as a form of collective coping and political satire, mocking the disconnect between government policy and the reality of living expenses during a global crisis.