I’ve always been a Josh Hutcherson girlie. And, clearly, YouTube user MetroGirlzStation has been too.
On October 12, 2014, they uploaded an edit that changed the world—an edit whose glory has only recently been uncovered by the Internet and has become a well-loved meme. The edit in question? One of actor Josh Hutcherson to a cover of Flo Rida’s “Whistle” by Joel Merry.
But, what is going on here? What is this edit that you might have been seeing everywhere lately? Let’s do some explaining and context-providing first, shall we?!
If you aren’t aware, we’re in the midst of a Josh Hutcherson renaissance. He rose to fame as a child star in films like “Bridge to Terabithia” and “Zathura,” and, of course, we all know him as Peeta from the beloved “Hunger Games” franchise. His name and face have resurfaced in pop culture because of his role as Mike Schmidt in “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” a wildly popular and anticipated adaptation of the video game of the same name. (Side note: The character of Mike Schmidt also has his own famous edit, but that’s a story for another time.)
Along with people thirsting after Mike, the fresh release of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” also has a lot to do with the recent “J-Hutch” love.
Although Hutcherson does not star in the new “Hunger Games” prequel, the hype of it on social media has allowed people to return to their OG “Hunger Games” phase and eventually see the Team Peeta tribe reconvene (although, have we ever really left?)
Because of Hutcherson’s popularity, any content about him (including edits, of course) has been appreciated and garnered views. So, when someone found the edit assumingly by chance and posted it to TikTok, it blew up, but for possibly all the wrong reasons.
I can write a whole article about edits, their cultural impact, and how much they have evolved over time, but I’ll keep things short and sweet for now. The editing style of this “Whistle” edit is not like what we have been used to for the past few years, especially on TikTok. Everything about it is rather dated. In fact, many joke that it resembles a memorial slideshow because of the fading pictures and transitions. There’s just something so funny about it overall.
Of course, I mean this with love! It is nine years old, after all, but it’s a nine-year-old masterpiece in my eyes.
I mean, come on…the fade-in to the now iconic photo of Hutcherson smirking with those piercing eyes, all while the whistling intro of the song begins?! And, the fact that the edit is a birthday tribute?! Just perfection.
Some examples of surrounding memes are TikToks consisting of people cutting into candy or food and providing warnings of “danger” such as “Guys, be careful I found this in my Halloween candy,” only to be faced with the intro of the Josh Hutcherson edit once the item is cut into. Another one includes people playing the edit on a loop on different devices, etc. And, as with most memes, the creativity is impressive and only adds to the comedy.
This is similar to “Rickrolling,” which was the older phenomenon of surprising people with Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” in the most ironic and humorous of places.
Now, instead of being “Rickrolled” we can start saying we’ve been “Whistled” instead!
This whole situation is truly my type of content. It not only combines my love for Josh Hutcherson and random edits, but there is also a lot of mystery to it which keeps me and many others intrigued.
Firstly, why did the creator of this edit, MetroGirlzStation, decide on a seemingly random cover of the song instead of the original? Why did they use those specific pictures? And most importantly, have they seen “Five Nights at Freddy’s” and “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?”
MetroGirlzStation has been inactive on their YouTube account since 2021. Their last edit was a romantic mix of couples from period dramas, which, I have to add, is quite a way to go out, and I literally want to be their best friend now.
I’m genuinely curious as to what MetroGirlzStation has to say about this random success of their edit. Where are they now? Are they still a fan of Josh Hutcherson? Do they know people are making merchandise based on this?
For now, I guess we’ll never know.
I can only hope MetroGirlzStation returns from hibernation to release some sort of statement, or I hope they silently know how iconic they are.
Even if they never do, I’ll still appreciate it for years to come, even with the hype of the meme inevitably fades.
Because of how much I’ve seen this edit, “Whistle” has been stuck in my head and running like clockwork in my brain. If only I could whistle myself, I could spot other Josh Hutcherson stans in the wild!
While I attempt to learn, I’ll be reveling in this Josh Hutcherson renaissance and contemplating seeing “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” in theaters again.