TikTok runs on trends, and without a consistently fresh stock of dance crazes, sound memes, and wacky challenges, the entire business model of the video-sharing app goes stagnant. But the latest trend on the platform is one that, by design, is a bit of a head-scratcher. In fact, it’s a total troll.
Rumors have been widely circulating on TikTok that suggest that the latest trend involves users hosting brunch parties where at least one seat is reserved for an ostensibly fake skeleton. People sit, eat, and film, making sure to let viewers check out their skeletal friend, and post the resulting video.
Perhaps it sounds silly but, on a platform that has seen the Gorilla Glue girl, the Corn Cob challenge, and even the gag-inducing weirdness that was the Sleepy Chicken challenge, having a few skeletons over for mimosas isn’t exactly the weirdest trend to come down the road.
Only it isn’t happening.
Search “Skeleton Brunch” on TikTok and you won’t find any of the videos that one would expect. Users are left feeling like they missed the bus on this one because the trend is absolutely bogus.
A Twitter user going by Dr. Economy Stonks began posting photos claiming to show outraged articles warning parents of the dangerous new craze of “Skeleton Brunches” that are supposedly endangering TikTok users. Dr. Stonks’ post was probably intended as satire, as a quick Google search fails to bring up any of the articles shown. But that didn’t stop the post from snowballing its way across the internet.
Another user’s post included a DM claiming to be from former NYC mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, captioned “what the hell is going on”. In the screenshot, Giuliani appears to unintentionally invite the user to a “Skeleton Brunch”, only to quickly follow-up with “Wrong person. Ignore”, then blocking the user.
Soon, the trend began dividing social media between those who were in the know and those that don’t. Certain corners of Twitter laid out and went after the bait like April Fools had come an entire month early.
Twitter user @ProtonInspector even managed to bring (of course) Kanye’s name into the mix.
So, unfortunately, if you are looking for a nice video of epidermically challenged spooksters hovering over a few plates of eggs benedict, you’re just going to have to film your own and hope that the nice little bistro down the street will accommodate you. But, now that you’re in on the joke, you might try to pull your own online “gotcha” before the ‘trend’ goes the way of Noodle the Pug and the Bama Rush girls.
Good luck!