buh

The "buh" emote features an orange cat with a neutral or uninterested facial expression. It's used to convey a sense of apathy, dismissiveness, or a comedic "whatever" attitude in Twitch chat. The emote perfectly captures a dry, indifferent mood that resonates with Twitch's often ironic humor culture.

The simplicity of the emote makes it instantly recognizable, showing just the face of an orange cat with a somewhat blank or unimpressed expression, which has made it popular for quick reactions in fast-moving chat environments.

The "buh" emote originated on third-party Twitch emote platforms such as 7TV and BetterTTV (BTTV), which allow streamers and viewers to use custom emotes beyond Twitch's official selection. While the exact creator and first appearance date aren't clearly documented, the emote gained significant popularity between 2020-2025 during the growth period of these third-party emote extensions.

The emote is part of the broader trend of animal-based reaction emotes that have become staples in Twitch culture. It follows in the tradition of other cat-themed emotes that have resonated with the internet's general affinity for cats as reaction images.

The rise of "buh" coincides with the expansion of third-party emote platforms, with BTTV introducing third-party emotes around 2014, and the continued growth of custom emote culture through platforms like 7TV in subsequent years.

The "buh" emote is typically used in the following contexts:

• When something disappointing or underwhelming happens during a stream
• As a reaction to unremarkable moments that don't deserve much enthusiasm
• To express resignation or acceptance of an unfortunate situation
• When viewers want to convey a sense of indifference or a "meh" attitude
• As a response to statements or events that viewers find dismissible
• During moments when chat collectively feels unimpressed

The emote is often spammed in succession when a streamer makes an anticlimactic play or when something fails to live up to expectations, serving as a communal expression of shared disappointment or apathy.