As the World Spirals, TikTok Combats the Low Hum of Impending Doom

Nothing, including political chaos, social anxiety, or the constant low hum of impending doom, can stop anyone on the internet from being deeply unserious. While the real world continues to spiral, TikTok has once again proven that collective silliness is our most reliable coping mechanism. All of this is proven by three deeply unnecessary, wildly specific trends currently taking over the app.

First up is the Owl Impression trend, where users pretend to be owls inspired by very specific people. Of course, no one is ever just a regular owl. There’s a New Orleans owl. An owl that somehow captures the cadence and aura of Barack Obama. An owl that is unmistakably Jennifer Coolidge. No explanation is offered, nor is one needed. Everyone somehow nails it.

@madison.scottxo wow why i sound just like him #fypシ #viral #impressions #barackobama #owl ♬ original sound - madison.scottxo

Then there’s the Victoria Beckham Wedding Dance Discourse, sparked after Brooklyn Beckham vaguely accused his mother, Victoria Beckham, of dancing “inappropriately” on him at his wedding. Now, everyone’s first thought is, of course, where’s the video? It’s been a few days and nothing has materialized, and social media took this personally. What followed was a flood of users interpreting what that dance could have been, each version more unhinged, scandalous, and aggressively funnier than the last. Some say she danced like Charli XCX does to her song “Track 10” onstage. Some say Victoria had to get down and dirty on the dance floor.

@ashleygillxo this must’ve been such a sweet moment 🥹 @Grant Gibbs #love #beckham #aw #family #wedding ♬ original sound - ashley

Finally, the most baffling trend of all is Tom Cruise “Computers,” where creators hit exaggerated action-movie poses and moves to the exact lyrics of Bobby Shmurda’s song “Computers.”

“I'm running n***** down in they groups (In they groups) / I'm sliding over cars while I shoot (While I shoot) / I think that I'm Tom Cruise (Tom Cruise, Tom Cruise, Tom Cruise) /But, bitch I'm Bobby with that tool.”

The funniest part of this is the image people chose to recreate in their videos. Sometimes it’s Tom on a red carpet. Sometimes it’s an editorial shoot he did in the ’90s. Why now? Why this? Why Tom Cruise, specifically? We don’t know, and maybe it’s none of our business.

So what does all this mean? Is this joyful absurdity a healthy release, or are we all just profoundly bored and dissociating together? Probably both. These trends aren’t solving anything, but they’re also not pretending to. In times when everything feels heavy, maybe being they’re the most human response available.