While everyone is out here simping over Miles Teller in the new Top Gun: Maverick movie starring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer, I’m instead thinking about Teller’s role in the 2014 film Whiplash all because of TikTok.
In the new Miles Teller TikTok trend, creators use a soundbite from the critically-acclaimed movie in the scene where Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) breaks up with his girlfriend Nicole (Melissa Benoist) all so he can focus more on drumming (I mean, priorities, right?). The drummer goes on a long tangent about why he wants to break up with her, and Nicole sits there silently, nodding her head numbly as he continues rambling on.
While the scene is one of the most tragic and emotional moments in the movie, it is also tremendously cringeworthy, which is where the trend finds its spark. Now, almost a decade after the film’s release, creators are using the trending soundbite to show where their priorities really lie during a breakup.
Where did the trending sound originate?
The sound originates from the 2014 movie Whiplash, which tells the story of a driven jazz drummer named Andrew who wants to rise to the top of his elite music conservatory. However, his passion for drumming quickly turns into an unhealthy obsession as his instructor Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) nearly pushes him to the brink of disaster.
The scene where the sound originates is when Andrew breaks up with his girlfriend Nicole. In the scene, Andrew tells Nicole, “Well, I don’t think that we should be together. And I’ve thought about it a lot, and this is what’s gonna happen, okay? I’m going to keep pursuing what I’m pursuing, and because I’m doing that, it’s going to take up more of my time and I’m not gonna be able to spend as much time with you. And even when I do spend time with you, I’m gonna be thinking about drumming.”
Andrew’s tangent goes on even longer than this, but for the sake of your time (and mine), I’ll leave it at that. Essentially, he goes on to explain his passion for drumming and ends with saying that he “wants to be great,” but feel free to watch the video clip above if you want to hear his whole spiel.
In the Miles Teller TikTok trend, creators are unbothered while pretending to get broken up with.
Breakups suck, but what sucks more is if you’re the person getting broken up with and the person breaking up with you keeps on rambling — and especially if you have other things to do. Like, sure, honesty is always the best policy, but I got other things going on that are more important, like tending to my Hay Day farm on my iPad, checking on my UberEats order, or going outside to tan because the UV index is nine. I get it, we’re breaking up — but can you just tell me that in a sentence or two and then let me get back to editing my Instagram photo? I’m fine, really — my Amazon package is just two stops away.
And it turns out that I’m not the only one who feels this way. Creator @spencewuah writes, “pov you’re breaking up with me but i have to type down everything you’re saying so i can recite it to my bestie,” while user @blackiewithkhakis admits to being too busy simping over Steve from Stranger Things to focus on something as unimportant as a breakup. Actress Lili Reinhart even got in on the trend, saying, “pov you’re breaking up with me over FaceTime but I can’t stop staring at myself.”
Trying the Miles Teller TikTok trend is a great way to practice your acting skills.
Trying the Miles Teller TikTok trend is easy, and it’s a great opportunity to practice your acting skills. To try the trend, just think of something you’d rather be doing than getting broken up with, like taking your BeReal of the day or trying to remember where the heck your birth certificate is (but really… where is it?), and get to filming. You can also swipe through the viral audio to get inspiration from users like @leahlouvaine, @mads.yo, and @madamewhomst.
Now, sorry, I’ve got to get back to drumming (okay, JK, I’ve actually never tried drumming in my life).