I’m sure we’ve all been so hungry that we could eat a horse (figuratively, OK?), but we have entered an entirely different ballgame with TikTok’s new favorite trend. Perhaps while mindlessly scrolling at 3:00 a.m., you’ve stumbled across a video of someone utterly bewildered, filmed secretly while the other party says, “I’m so hungry, I could eat [insert the name of a random person from their past you somehow found out about].” It elicits raucous laughter, mind-boggling confusion and questions, and sometimes intense anger, but — either way — it makes for great content.
Many of these videos are gaining millions of views and likes within days of posting, which only brings more people to the trend. It has even crossed the boundaries into other trends — namely, the “100 men versus one silverback gorilla” trend — reaching new levels of “chronically online” that have almost never been seen before.
The trend, as it is now, originated from videos of parents telling their young children (normally toddler-aged or younger), “I’m so hungry, I could eat a kid.” Sometimes, the child would start crying or run off to tell their other parents, and people took those videos and ran with them. Many tried the same trend with their pets, saying, “I’m so hungry I could eat a dog,” to be met with the most suspicious, accusatory look from their furry friend.
Still, the trend was not done, and it reached its height of popularity when people found names from old yearbooks or that were far down on the Facebook friends list of their parents, friends, or partners. Or even their priest.
The more niche, the better, as the look of fear flashes on someone’s face, surely coinciding with the thought: “How do you know who that is?” First boyfriends, teachers, friends from 30 years ago, or even that one video where TikToker Sophia Kang (@sophkang) called her long-distance boyfriend and said she could eat the girl he was cheating on her with. I know, shocking.
While these videos are mainly pure comedy with the over-the-top reactions, plenty are bittersweet and nostalgic, making the recipient of the prank reminisce. Or, of course, it could become downright sad when the other person reveals that the name you chose on a whim belongs to a friend who passed seven years ago…
This trend has brought generations together, experiencing the highs and lows of nostalgia and human relationships, in a way that everyone can relate to. Just, you know, maybe check to see if that person is still alive.