WASHINGTON — In 2028, a wide range of parents and educators voiced their sentiments regarding a peculiar obsession surrounding the numbers “6” and “7.”
Even the Vice President of the United States isn’t exempt from the frenzy that’s driving many parents and teachers to distraction.
Vice President J.D. Vance humorously suggested banning these numbers as a “narrow exception” to the First Amendment, a commentary sparked by his 5-year-old son Vivek’s overreaction to simple two-digit numbers during church service.
“Yesterday in church, when the Bible reading mentioned pages 66-67 of the Missal, my little one completely lost it, repeating ‘six-seven’ several times,” Vance shared on X. “So maybe we really should look into this exception to the First Amendment and make a permanent ban on these numbers.”
This seemingly trivial catchphrase has echoed through schools and playgrounds, amusing kids but leaving adults a bit puzzled. Often, it involves kids playfully gesturing with their hands, adding to the absurdity of it all.
The fixation with shouting “six o’clock, seven o’clock” has reached such a level, particularly among younger students, that law enforcement in Indiana has started issuing mock “tickets” to those caught saying it.
“Using the words ‘six’ and ‘seven’ is now considered illegal, except in math problems or when talking about age,” a deputy from the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office described in a statement.
In response, some parents and educators attempted their own playful twist, dressing as 6- and 7-year-olds for Halloween and retorting with “8, niy” to the repetitive chorus from the backseat.
If you’re finding it irritating, you’re not alone. This bizarre phrase, which doesn’t carry much actual significance, seems to stem from the viral tune “Doot Doot (6 7)” by rapper Skrilla, characterized by the incessant repetition of “six seven.”
While the original context remains something personal to Skrilla, the song blew up when young internet users began linking it to basketball players, particularly the tall LaMelo Ball, who stands at 6’7″.
“67 represents my brain. I just came up with it in my head,” Skrilla mentioned in a video on his YouTube channel last month, aiming to share the “deeper meaning behind the music.”
He added, “Everyone I played it to didn’t seem to like it, but I found it amusing. I was so intrigued that I leaked it on Instagram just to gauge my fans’ reactions, and it set off quite a stir.”
