Among the recent trends taking over Tik Tok are Jonathan Graziano’s (@jongraz) wholesome videos featuring his thirteen year old pug, “Noodle.”
In each of these videos, Graziano opens with an explanatory introduction for newcomers. “Good morning everyone, and welcome back to yet another round of no bones—the game where we find out if my thirteen year old pug woke up with no bones,” he begins in a recent episode.
Similar to the premise of Groundhog Day, we, the viewers, “find out what kind of day we’re going to have” based on one of two outcomes decided by Noodle: “bones day” or “no bones day.”
In each episode, Graziano attempts to lift Noodle up from his bed to take him to use the bathroom. Sometimes, Noodle complies, “standing like a deep rooted tree.” Or he outright refuses; “tak[ing] all of the bones that he is made of—he has many bones in his body—… [he] decides that they don’t work, and [he] becomes this flubbery Jell-O angel.”
If Noodle stands, it’s “bones day”! On bones day, the rule is that you must do something nice for yourself: “eat Greek food by a river, get the couch you’ve always wanted… call someone and tell them that you love them.”
If he does not stand, it’s “no bones day”! On no bones day, “we reclaim the… day… for kindness and self-care and, you know, just listening to what [we] need.” There are also “no hard pants [allowed] on a no bones day!” No bones day observers are implored to trade in their jeans for “soft pants” such as leggings or sweats.
Noodle is conventionally adorable. He is a hefty-looking small dog. He has a greying, scrunched-up face, not unlike a typical pug, and his little pink tongue is often seen peeking out of his mouth. In one ’tok specifically referring to Noodle’s tongue, his owner (citing an ongoing worry that his habit will cause dryness) reprimands him: “Noodle, sir, you are being absolutely reckless with that thing. You have to put [your tongue]… away. I’m so sorry, you have to put it away.”
Wholesomeness of both pug and concept drive this tik tok duo’s virality (many of Graziano’s recent videos have surpassed two million likes). Perhaps a fleeting smile is all we are to gain from Noodle. Or, maybe we are compelled, on some level, by the premise of resisting—in small but needful ways—the exhausting demands of “the daily grind” Graziano could have easily designated bones day as a day to push oneself to work harder and no bones day as a “mental health day.” He is aware, however, that our bodies are not made to be stuffed into parameters of “on” and “off” days. Instead, both bones and no bones days seek to imbue in us moments of happiness and rest as we labor.