If you haven’t heard about the story of Anna Delvey, the con artist who wreaked havoc on the New York City socialite scene during the mid-2010s, what are you doing right now? Under the pseudonym “Anna Delvey,” Russian-born Anna Sorokin pretended to be a German heiress and managed to trick multiple friends, banks, and businesses with her schemes. Spoiler alert: Sorokin served prison time at Riker’s Island and is now the subject of the new Netflix series, Inventing Anna, in which Ozark’s Julia Garner plays the leading lady. Now, a snippet of Sorokin’s story is the inspiration for the “I Do Not Have Time For This” TikTok trend, which uses a catchy soundbite from the Netflix show.
Netflix recently posted this video on TikTok and the viral audio has been stuck in my head ever since. The clip features an explosive Garner saying, “I do not have time for this. I do not have time for you!” The Inventing Anna scene oozes chaos, partially due to the alarming intensity and conviction that both Garner executes frighteningly well, but also because of her bizarre accent which has been heavily discussed since the show’s release. Personally, I think Garner nailed it — what is a Russian-born fake German heiress trying to be a New Yorker supposed to sound like, anyway?
Whether you’ve seen Inventing Anna or not, the TikTok soundbite derived from the show is hilarious and captures the universal feeling of being at your absolute wit’s end. Have you ever been so fed up with a person or situation that you simply can’t bear to deal with it any longer? Like when class is technically over, but your professor keeps talking? Or when you’re trying to style your hair in the morning, but it literally never cooperates with you? Whether your situation is funny, serious, cringe-worthy, or a mix of all three, the “I Do Not Have Time For This” TikTok trend is perfect for the moments where you simply…cannot.
All over TikTok, creators are using the original sound from Inventing Anna to recreate moments when they, too, were totally fed up with something or someone. For example, @austinmonigold says, “When I have to do laundry at any point during my college schedule” and TikTok couple @maya.and.hunter’s version says, “When you realize that you have to come up with three meal ideas a day for the rest of your life.” (But actually…who has the time?) Creator @gabibeeze says, “when Google asks for 2-step verification the Monday after break, school starts in 30 seconds, and you have 115 emails waiting for you,” and @bonnieleetoks needs to get home in time for the season finale of Euphoria but her bestie won’t stop bugging her. Whatever your version is, simply use the “I Do Not Have Time For This” audio in the background of your video to imply that you absolutely don’t have the time for whatever is happening. That’s it!
Although this TikTok trend is inspired by a pretty serious con artist, it’s obvious that the trend itself isn’t meant to be taken nearly as seriously. Many versions of “I Do Not Have Time For This” are cute and tongue-in-cheek, like @whimsysoul, who can’t deal with the fact that her husband won’t wake up at 5 AM to take sunrise pics with her, and @weliveinagiantsnowglobe who just wants to walk around the mall without being asked by a random kiosk person if she wants to buy a $300 hair straightener. TikToker @abbies.reads is annoyed when people try to interrupt her *spicy* reading time and @staircaseballet attempts to catch up on fanfic, but her full-time job is keeping her too busy. Rude.
I love any TikTok trend that pokes fun at modern dating and relationships (in a respectful way, of course), and the “I Do Not Have Time For This” trend is a great opportunity for exactly that. For instance, @not.julietteweg’s version says, “Boys who can’t get out of the ‘talking stage’ when we’re almost in our 20s,” and @cciyonaa says, “When you come into my DMs with just ‘hi’” which honestly gets my blood boiling. Who! Has! The time! In another cute version, creator @thedaciadiary says, “When you catch yourself smiling at your phone again for the first time in months,” indicating that, clearly, now is not the time to catch feels.
Whether TikTok sends you a reminder that you’ve been scrolling for too long or you can’t get your winged eyeliner to turn out right and simply don’t have time for makeup artistry anymore, try the “I Do Not Have Time For This” TikTok trend and prepare for a good time. The Anna Delvey AKA Anna Sorokin-inspired soundbite — which you’ll need to save for the trend — will make you smile, even if it’s merely due to Garner’s eccentric, yet spot-on impersonation of the con artist. Think of a situation in which your patience is running thin, channel your inner actor, and record yourself lip-syncing Garner’s dialogue. Then, post your version on TikTok and join the millions of creators who hop on viral trends every day. The best part is, the soundbite is short and the recording process doesn’t take very long. Because, you know, who has the time?