The Feed: Brain rot comedy, #Fridgescaping, the return of hyper-curated content, and more
The Feed (@thefeed.global) is powered by We Are Social’s Cultural Insights team. We’re diving into the top posts from the past few months – trends include the TikTok pair that are finding joy in brain rot, creators that are sharing the aesthetic arrangements of their fridges, and the resurgence of flat lays and hyper-curated feeds.
Read on to find out what they all mean, and why they’ve been taking over our social feeds.
TikTok’s Marty and Missy are finding the joy in brain rot
Missy McIntosh and Marty Miller are Brooklyn comedians who work together at Bernie’s, a Greenpoint restaurant – but on TikTok, they’re so much more than that. The pair have gone viral for their comedy content that pairs positivity with brain rot: speaking in the weird, garbled language of people who’ve doomscrolled for too long, they offer uplifting and happy messages to their viewers. What does the love for Missy and Marty tell us about the future of online humour?
#Fridgescaping sees people find joy in curation rather than consumption
#Fridgescaping – the intentional and aesthetic arrangement and display of items in one’s
fridge – has taken over TikTok. The trend foregrounds mindful organisation and personal expression in everyday spaces, showing how people derive satisfaction from curation, rather than new purchases. Like #underconsumptioncore, fridgescaping pushes people to think creatively about how to derive joy from what they already have. What does this tell us about how tomorrow’s brands should position their products?
Flat lays are signalling a return to hyper-curated feeds
In recent years, video content has overtaken images as the main way in which people communicate. This shift has moved social away from polished setups toward more candid and ‘real’ storytelling. But flat lay content is back and is resisting this shift. From airport security paraphernalia to everyday handbag content, every element is meticulously coded to reflect a certain brand of internet culture – creating a mainstream, yet subtly exclusive, IYKYK vibe.
@Paralympics sparks a referendum on brands’ use of edgy humour
“How are we feeling about the Paralympics account, because as an amputee, I’m not sure” – so goes the introduction to a TikTok by @jessicaemilyquinn that’s been viewed over 2M times. The official account in question has brought unprecedented attention to its athletes – but has done so through unapologetically tapping into the edgy, self-deprecating humour that’s native to TikTok. While this might be typical to TikTok, when it comes to the Paralympics, some viewers are critical of an approach which uses silly soundtracks to accompany Paralympic achievements and platforms athlete ‘fails’ for laughs.
‘City or not city’ is the expression sweeping social in China
Paul Ashton is an expat living in Shanghai who’s gone viral for wandering around and asking, in simple Mandarin, whether something is ‘city or not city’. In essence, he’s turned the word “city” into an adjective in Chinese, using it as a judgement of something’s urban vibe. On Douyin, he’s racked up 807K fans and 15 million likes for his videos, spurring other creators –and even brands – to use the “city or not city” line in their content. What does ‘city or not city’ tell us about how Chinese social is opening up to expat influence?