If you’re looking for a simple, yet intelligent trend to try on social media right now, you’ll love the “It’s Not Pomegranate” TikTok trend which has been all over my For You Page lately. The trend is lighthearted enough to add a bit of harmless fun to your feed, yet clever enough that you can still create something smart, specific, and relevant. The “It’s Not Pomegranate” trend was inspired by an interview between a British YouTuber and a woman with a mysterious fruit in her drink, and I promise, if you haven’t heard the viral soundbite yet, your daily TikTok-scroll-fest is about to get way better.
Despite its food-inspired title, the “pomegranate” trend has absolutely nothing to do with eating pomegranates, and everything to do with poking fun at yourself. Have you ever held a belief about yourself or someone else, only to realize later on that you were terribly mistaken? Or, maybe you had a fleeting idea about a topic, but then realized it was deeper than you originally thought. For example, maybe you’re accustomed to battling random tummy aches 24/7 but just realized your anxiety is the culprit, or you’re dead-set on going to graduate school, but what you actually crave is academic validation (ouch).
Whether your example is comical or serious, the “It’s Not Pomegranate” TikTok trend is an entertaining way to call yourself out on those everyday moments when people, places, and thoughts aren’t always what they seem.
The “It’s Not Pomegranate” TikTok trend was inspired by a video by British YouTuber and radio presenter Max Fosh (@maxfosh).
In case you’re wondering how the trend began, we all have 26-year-old YouTuber Max Fosh to thank. Fosh’s popular YouTube channel, formerly known as “StreetSmart,” originally focused on street-style interviews with college students and pedestrians. His content has since expanded to include shenanigans like creating impromptu public dog photoshoots (reportedly, just so he can pet more dogs), playing the world’s biggest game of Wordle, breaking into an international security convention, and becoming the world’s richest man for seven minutes.
In the original TikTok video that inspired the “pomegranate” trend, Fosh interviews a woman who appears to be holding a fruit-infused cocktail. At the beginning of the clip, Fosh comments on the drink: “There’s a slice of pomegranate in there as well!” Then, the woman gently responds, “No darling, it’s not pomegranate…what do you actually think it is? Give it another go.” Fosh smiles and says, “It’s…it’s grapefruit,” to which the woman responds, “Yes, there we go!” in the tone of a warm kindergarten teacher. Fosh closes by shrugging and saying innocently, “I don’t know my fruits!” (It’s worth noting that both of their iconic British accents make the interaction feel even more wholesome).
In the “It’s Not Pomegranate” TikTok trend, creators are calling themselves out.
Now, TikTok creators are using the quick, catchy convo between Fosh and delightful grapefruit girl to call out moments when they, too, were mistaken about something. There are many versions of the trend, but most TikTokers use the sound to highlight their secrets, little-known quirks, or sudden realizations they’ve had about their lives.
For example, people are always telling creator @remielyse that she’s “so independent!” when really, it’s probably her anxious attachment style. TikToker @faithieeanne claims to love straightening her hair but realizes she only does it because others like it that way. Creator @leahchoudhryx claims to love her job but is low-key only staying because of her work besties, and @daniifenton3 appears motivated about her grades but is secretly terrified of failure.
TikToker @katiegdon takes a wholesome approach to the “It’s Not Pomegranate” trend with a version about body inclusivity, and creator @plusrealiste claims to randomly feel “completely healed and ready” to change her life, meanwhile, it’s because the sun just came out after six months. Regardless of what your version depicts, the goal is to align the “pomegranate” audio with an important realization you’ve had about something — like realizing that the pomegranate in someone’s drink is actually…a grapefruit.
TikTokers are also using the trend to poke fun at sex, dating, & relationships.
When it comes to covering popular TikTok trends, I love any viral moment that sparks commentary about dating and relationship woes — and of course, TikTokers have no shortage of clever callouts to make in this arena.
Creator @notmaebelen is convinced that the guy she’s seeing is a “genuinely nice person” but gets a reality check when she realizes he just wants to hook up. Creator @sionfirew is convinced that she’s ready for a relationship, but it turns out she’s actually just bored. TikToker @chiaraking thinks she’s obsessed with her new boo but it’s just because he’s emotionally unavailable, and @ally_yost makes a genius version about lovebombing. Personally, I’m here for this version of the trend by @extranah, who says: “I think he’s my soulmate.” When the audio says “It’s not pomegranate,” she says, “He’s not your soulmate,” followed by “He’s for character development.” I mean…some people are good for the plot, right?
To try the “It’s Not Pomegranate” trend, think of a time when an experience had a different (or deeper) meaning.
When you’re ready to try the “It’s Not Pomegranate” trend, simply save the trending audio here and think of a funny or serious realization you’ve had. Then, film yourself selfie-style lip-syncing the words to Fosh’s dialogue, and don’t forget to add text overlay to narrate your situation.
Maybe you tell people you’re an introvert, but your “grapefruit” moment is that you actually have major social anxiety. Or maybe you’re crushing hard on someone and can’t figure out why, but then it hits you: They’re over 6 feet tall. In another cute example, @itslivdarling is reading smut at the kitchen table when her BF asks, “Is that a new rom-com book?” Then, in sync with the trending audio, she mouths: “Give it another go,” and he says “It’s porn.” Hey, the man knows his fruits!
In the spirit of grapefruit gal, give the trend a go and let us know what you create. There are plenty of examples to explore on TikTok if you need some inspiration — but remember not to take yourself too seriously! We’re comparing grapefruits and pomegranates, after all.