Mewing comes from the tongue-posture technique popularised by orthodontists John and Mike Mew, but online it became a looksmaxxing and TikTok joke about silently holding a perfect jawline pose. The bye bye mewing sound grew out of the backlash to that seriousness, as creators started filming themselves deliberately breaking the pose to talk, laugh or eat. Versions labelled 2.0 spread as remixed soundboard clips and short edits. It stays popular because it gives that whole trend a simple exit line, instantly signalling someone has given up, been caught out or is mocking the pose.