TikTokkers are slapping each other with tortillas. Here's why.
This week, TikTokkers are slapping each other with tortillas. Yes, you read that correctly. But that’s not the only thing they're up to on the app. They're also using The Backyardigans (again!) to describe weird situations and reminiscing over old movies.
Tortilla challenge
The latest TikTok dare involves a game of rock paper scissors, a tortilla, and… a mouthful of water, but it isn't as nefarious as you may think.
In order to participate in the "tortilla challenge" TikTokkers fill their mouths with water and play a game of rock paper scissors, all while having a limp tortilla on standby. The loser of rock paper scissors gets slapped with a tortilla — but the real challenge is keeping the water in your mouth for the duration of the game and subsequent slap. It's essentially a very specific try-not-to-laugh challenge with the added theatrics of tortilla slapping and spitting up water when a participant breaks.
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Between the game of rock paper scissors, the tortilla-wielding, and the water, the challenge has a lot of moving parts making it very entertaining to watch. The "tortilla challenge" tag has over 190 million views.
While the tortilla challenge began on couples' prank TikTok — a side of the platform I like to stay as far away as possible from — it's gained enough popularity that it's evolved into a challenge everyone, not just cringey couples, can partake in.
Some TikTokkers, like @bec_lebec, didn’t even make it to the rock paper scissors portion of the challenge. Rather, they cracked at the premise of the challenge. Others, like @ericaa.haa, made it through two rounds of rock paper scissors. May the TikTokker with the best poker face win!
Funny weird
Back in 2004, The Backyardigans used the phrase "funny weird" to describe a certain kind of strange situation. The soundbite is now a popular sound on TikTok with over 160,000 videos using this audio. Yes, The Backyardigans are having ANOTHER moment on TikTok. The Nickelodeon animated series previously had two viral songs on the platform, "Into The Thick Of It" and "Castaways," making them surprising mainstays of the app.
In the clip, Pablo, the blue penguin, says "Funny," then Tyrone, the orange moose, cuts in with, "Yes, but not," and the iconic Uniqua finishes it off by saying, "funny haha, funny weird." The animals are all talking together to make one coherent thought, "Funny yes, but not funny haha, funny weird." TikTokkers have picked up on this simple, yet profound observation and are now applying it to funny-weird situations in their own lives.
One extremely relatable example is @speedy.nyc's video that reads, "when your problems pop up on your fyp." Another stellar use of the sound is @tylerc.98's video, which is captioned, "when someone’s gf/bf looks exactly like their sibling."
It’s just an old movie
Back in February, TikTokker @japanesedenimm posted an electric guitar cover of "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane, and it's since become a device for one of TikTok's favorite pastimes: reminiscing on a piece of media that deeply affected you. So far, the cover has been used in over 100,000 TikToks.
These videos have two parts: First, the TikTokker stares blankly at the screen and writes, "it's just an old movie, get over it," and then when the song reaches its climax they quote their favorite moment of the movie while emotionally banging their fist against their pillow. It's one of those trends where the girls who get it, get it and the girls that don't, don't. And because the movie in question isn't named, you have to be enough of a fan to recognize the out-of-context quote.
My favorite example of this trend is @ashhleys' video that reads, "it's literally just a disney movie" and then it quotes Aladdin, "well, there's this girl… she's smart, and- and fun, and.. Pretty? Beautiful! She's got these eyes that just… and this hair, wow, and her smile? ah…"
Topics TikTok
Elena is a tech reporter and the resident Gen Z expert at Mashable. She covers TikTok and digital trends. She recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in American History. Email her at [email protected] or follow her @ecaviar_.
