already decades ago when we were kids eating pudding with a fork was a fun past time, and i am sure the idea is as old as pudding or forks themselves. i mean, the fact that it spread so fast shows that there are many who already practiced it. it's actually surprising it took this long to become a meme.

heck, my cousin bet with me or let me compete eating pudding with chopsticks. (and that was long before i went to china)

practically speaking, the only downside of using a fork (or chopsticks) is scraping the bottom when you are finishing up.

I think the meme is as much about a meetup with strangers to eat pudding as it is about using a fork to do it.