It started as a joke among friends over Twitter, but it quickly gained momentum. [viral claps]

Like a lot of people on Sunday afternoon, Baltimore-based software developer Chris Ashworth was frustrated with the way Congress had handled the important but often routine business of raising the nation’s borrowing limit.

“When the debt deal goes through,” he mused on Twitter to what he describes as a fairly modest following, “can we start a meme where we all make videos of ourselves slowly & sarcastically applauding our politicians?”

That was the beginning of Slow Clap for Congress, what is at present a very basic website hosting Ashworth and a handful of other folks doing — well, you get the idea.

View all the videos.

h/t Foxwell