You Were Bought Guide
Calling out the one in the room who is not on your side, performing loyalty they do not feel.
The meme: "you were bought" is the phrase that names the sycophant - the person who performs loyalty to whoever is paying. It started in the AI-assistant space ("you were bought by the chatbot to be nicer to it") and spread to any room where someone is performing a position they do not hold.
Why it landed in September 2026: the phrase is the cleanest two words you can use to call out a performance. Not "you are fake" - "you were bought." The past tense is the punchline: the loyalty is not theirs, it was purchased, and the receipt is showing.
The remix: a detection game - a room full of statements lands on screen, and you call which one is the bought line, which one is a genuine position. The card is your "you were bought" read rate.