TikTok is Behind Bedroom Doors (2003) Watch onlineon the rise two years after Vine's tragic demise, but don't expect it to fill the void that Vine left. That's OK! The absolute chaos that TikTok embodies is exactly what we need in 2019.
If you've been spending time outside like a functional human and have no idea what TikTok is, here's a rundown: The app was formerly known as Musical.ly, a platform dominated by preteens lip-syncing to uncomfortably suggestive choreography. In August 2018, the app was bought by ByteDance and merged with its app TikTok.
SEE ALSO: People are eating their own fingers to Kidz Bop music on TikTokIn the months since, the app has spawned increasingly bizarre — but hilarious — 15-second videos, from gummy bears serenading each other with Adele's "Someone Like You" to teens flexing their makeup skills on literal potatoes. TikTok users aspire to get a coveted feature on the apps "For You" page, which is basically a scroll-through version of Instagram's "Explore" tab.
There are definite parallels between TikTok and Vine — the iconic six-second sketches were all about catching the viewer off guard, and that sentiment is still trendy in Vine's successor. If this TikTok was cropped into a square and half the length, you could easily expect to find it in a Vine compilation.
Despite the quick sketches, DIY-aesthetic, and Vine-like dry humor, the app itself is way more complex than Vine ever was. TikTok users can add Snapchat-like face filters, use impressively complex in-app editing tools, and sync their videos to virtually any audio clip. Although there's still a portion of its original Musical.ly users who duet weirdly sexual dances together, it's being overtaken by a growing set of TikTok users who prefer to ironically lip sync to dialogue from movies, TV shows, and even Vines.
TikTok isn't really any other social media platform because, as BuzzFeed's Ryan Broderick tweeted, it's "pure chaos."
TikTok is Gen Z at its best: Weird Dadaist humor blended with a mastery of memes.
The "Pretty Boy Swag" videos, for example, have TikTok users dressing up to Soulja Boy's 2010 bop. During the song's build up, users will don pieces of costumes and assume position. When the beat drops, they'll cut to whatever obscure object they dressed as, from a literal rotisserie chicken to Big Chungus to an unwrapped tampon.
TikTok's most popular videos tend to be absolutely nonsensical; art imitates life, and right now life makes no fucking sense. And although Vine definitely embodied some of that weird millennial humor, TikTok is tends to be darker. When Vine was thriving, a majority of younger people were hopeful about the future — Obama was cool and the internet was fun. TikTok may never be able to replace that, but its deeply chaotic presence is a perfect reflection of how surreal each news cycle feels.
Obviously not every TikTok is going to be hilarious, and without great content moderation, much of the videos are wildly problematic. A dive into cringey TikToks, according to the Atlantic, found a video of a kid dancing to Rihanna's "S&M" in front of the Confederate flag. A misogynistic video shows a teenage girl in an apron participating in the "Choose Your Character" challenge by wielding a bowl and a sign that says "property." And aside from the more controversial videos, there's an abundance of gross lip syncs that will make you want to collapse into yourself out of secondhand embarrassment.
But like NY Magpoints out, the content you see from TikTok depends on where you view it from. You're more likely to hate it if your only exposure to it is from Twitter threads complaining that it's not Vine or compilations highlighting how awful it is.
If you need a laugh, or need to disappear into a void of sardonic skits set to a tinny backing track, go straight to the source and swipe through TikTok itself. It's worth it.
Here's a list of a few accounts to get you started.
Singing Show Tunes to James Salter8 burning 'Only Murders in the Building' questions ahead of the finaleBeware the Mineshaft of Books12 best and funniest tweets of the weekAnnouncing the Winners of Our #ReadEverywhere ContestThe gold cube marketing stunt is dumb, but the memes are greatOn the Origin—and the Modern'Gen V' review: 'The Boys' goes to college in this fun, gory spinoffWhy I Like Boiling EggsThe Washington Post's Dave Jorgenson celebrates Groundhog Day with his 1,000th WFH TikTokBeware the Mineshaft of BooksI Demand Satisfaction, and Other NewsA Day at an Upper West Side BankOn the 10th anniversary of her son's death, Trayvon Martin's mother reflects on his lifeSinging Show Tunes to James SalterGlobal report: Digital gender divide persists for girls raised as 'vulnerable'The gold cube marketing stunt is dumb, but the memes are greatWillow the First Cat has officially moved into Biden's White HousePractice Safe Selfies, and Other NewsWho killed Ben? Solving 'Only Murders in the Building's Season 3 mystery BrettKavanaugh.com links to resources for sexual assault survivors Why the next royal baby might not be a Prince or Princess Princess Eugenie's wedding dress sheds light on scoliosis The 'Same Energy' meme oddly makes perfect sense Chrissy Teigen's 9 best viral moments The best tampon alternatives, and how to use them Royal wedding takes turn for the NSFW with BBC subtitle error How to watch the 2022 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Man goes skinny dipping in shark tank, and he's lucky his ween didn't get bit off Review: Heated lash curler from Lash Star works... kinda? Wordle today: Get the answer, hints for June 15 Two 'Bachelor: Vietnam' contestants who fell in love on the show are now a couple Yellowstone National Park closed by extreme floods, helicopter footage shows Emotional support squirrel gets kicked off airplane Wordle today: Get the answer, hints for June 17 Trump has a corny painting of himself and former presidents hanging in the White House Stephen Miller's third grade teacher said he was a 'loner,' ate glue 'The Quarry' review: Why AAA narrative horror games matter This Instagram poet is rewriting fairy tales with modern gender roles The saga of the barefoot runner, a local Facebook group, and some acorns
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