The Taco Bell diarrhea joke is a long-running internet gag rather than a line from a single show or film, built on the fast-food chain's reputation for spicy, late-night meals and their effect on digestion. It circulates in meme videos, reaction clips and short-form edits where creators need a quick, recognisable punchline for overeating or a bad food choice. Because the joke is widely understood without explanation, it keeps appearing in new edits years after it first spread online, especially around fast-food challenges and mukbangs.