monkaTOS is used to express anxiety or concern about content that might violate Twitch's Terms of Service. The emote serves as both a warning and a reaction when streamers say something controversial, show questionable content, or engage in behavior that could potentially get them banned or suspended from Twitch. It represents the nervous feeling viewers get when they witness something that might cross the line of what's acceptable on the platform.
Origin
monkaTOS is a variant of the popular Pepe the Frog emote series, specifically derived from the "monkaS" emote which originated around 2016. The base monkaS shows Pepe sweating nervously. The "TOS" variant emerged around 2017-2018 as streamers and chat participants needed a way to warn about potential Terms of Service violations on Twitch. The emote combines the anxious Pepe expression with "TOS" written across it, creating a warning signal. It's typically found on third-party services like BetterTTV, FrankerFaceZ, or 7TV rather than as an official Twitch emote.
When to use
When a streamer says something politically controversial or potentially offensive
When questionable or NSFW content briefly appears on stream
During discussions of banned streamers or controversial topics
When a streamer is doing something risky that could result in a ban (like showing copyrighted content)
As a playful warning to streamers who are pushing boundaries
When chat wants to alert the streamer they're entering dangerous territory
