The Costco Guys’ Boom Meter food rating system, unpacked
Boom or Doom, or 5/5 Booms on the Boom Meter is a food rating system used by father and son TikTok duo A.J. and Big Justice, aka the Costco Guys.
The two use the system to rate food products in their recurring segment, “Boom or Doom.” If something receives the highest rating (a “boom”), it usually involves shouting “boom,” flexing a bicep, and an exploding graphic/emoji.
Boom or Doom became a popular meme in 2024 when users on TikTok and X started to question the accuracy of the rating system. The family seemingly gave everything 5 out of 5 booms. From there, meme creators used the Boom Meter graphic as an exploitable image, often making fun of A.J. and Big Justice for their too-generous food ratings.
Origins of the Boom Meter
Boom or Doom first appeared in a TikTok from A.J. and Big Justice on March 21st, 2023, when the two rated Chick-fil-A sauces as either “BOOM ???? Or DOOM ☠️." The video received over 27k plays and 1.1k likes. Through the remainder of 2023 and into 2024, the Boom or Doom series caused the TikTok team to grow in popularity, as the series earned millions of plays across multiple posts.
@a.j.befumo BOOM ???? Or DOOM ☠️‼️ #chickfila #friedchicken #buffalosauce #honeymustard #father #son #fun ♬ Funk-style pop that is about to start fun(908934) - hiroster710music
On June 9th, 2024, the first TikTok to use the Boom Meter system rather than just Boom or Doom appeared. In the video, A.J. and Big Justice rated restaurants along the Point Pleasant, New Jersey boardwalk. The video received 326k plays and 26.1k likes.
@a.j.befumo Here’s What To Eat At Pt. Pleasant Boardwalk‼️##newjersey#food #beach #boardwalk #father #son #family #fun @Flatbill Sports @NOBULL ♬ original sound - A.J. & Big Justice
Spread
A TikTok rating triple-chunk chocolate cookies on the Boom Meter was posted by A.J. and Big Justice on June 10th, 2024. The video featured collaborators in the form of The Rizzler and Cousin Angelo, which arguably led to it receiving roughly 2.9 million plays and 295k likes.
@a.j.befumo It’s A Triple Chunk Chocolate Cookie‼️ #food #cookie #father #son #family #fun #costco #costcoguys #bigjustice #boom @chef lou @NOBULL @Flatbill Sports @Cousin Angelo @Christian_Joseph ♬ original sound - A.J. & Big Justice
Later that same day, @JUSTcamememe on X reposted the video with the caption, “Jesus died for this.” The post received over 15.9 million views and 29k likes in 10 days. This was due to several quotes retweets mostly related to the Rizzler’s appearance.
A.J. and Big Justice posted another Boom Meter TikTok on June 18th, 2024 in which the duo rated Fruit Blox fruit snacks. It garnered 1.3 million plays and 72k likes.
@a.j.befumo Fruit Blox‼️ #food #snacks #father #son #family #fun #bigjustice #boom @BloxSnacks @Christian_Joseph ♬ original sound - A.J. & Big Justice
Again, the video was reposted on X by @JUSTcatmeme later that day, with the caption “I woke up to this.” It gained over 6.6 million views and 4.7k likes in two days.
Boom Meter-related jokes began to appear after this repost, including a quote shared by @chief___keefe on that same June 18th, 2024 with the caption, "As more and more items earn 5/5 booms on the boom meter, I begin to question the integrity of the boom meter." It received over 75k likes in two days.
Also on that same June 18th, @DildoGaggins89 on X tweeted an image of Big Justice giving 9/11 5/5 booms, gaining roughly 17k likes in two days.
Boom Meter memes
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