I definitely recall it being “a thing”. At least something ptople acknowledged existed. I always assumed it’s most common function was basically bullying: to signal to everyone but the speaker that they were awkward.

It is real! Though to me, it looks more like a mola mola!

I remember a few friends using it in highschool around 2002, but wasn’t huge in my experience.

It was. I haven’t seen it in many years. Never heard of all the other variations.