List of All Articles with Tag 'tiktok'

It’s the most unexpected food trend of the year so far, and now McDonald’s has broken its silence on the Grimace shake going viral. In case you missed it, TikTok has been completely obsessed over a limited edition purple-coloured milkshake over recent days. Grimace has been a mascot in McDonald’s marketing for decades and the fast food giant honoured the 52nd birthday of the character by introducing the new item to menus in the US. Only, since then, TikTok users have made it the focus of a strange trend – which sees them drink it, then pretend to be dead after consuming it. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Typically, the clips see someone sip the drink, before cutting to them in a fake crime scene looking like they’ve been poisoned. Gen Z is always finding new ways to surprise us, and the odd trend has racked up millions of hits. @wheresxander the foot twitch… it’s grimace taking over. #grimaceshake #grimacesbirthday Now, McDonald’s has addressed the trend with a lighthearted Tweet. The official account posted a picture of a Grimace mascot, writing: “meee pretending i don't see the grimace shake trendd.” The milkshake is only set to be on the menu for a limited time, but it looks like the trend isn’t going anywhere just yet - and the memes keep coming thick and fast. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

It’s the most unexpected food trend of the year so far, and now McDonald’s has broken its silence on the Grimace shake going viral. In case you missed it, TikTok has been completely obsessed over a limited edition purple-coloured milkshake over recent days. Grimace has been a mascot in McDonald’s marketing for decades and the fast food giant honoured the 52nd birthday of the character by introducing the new item to menus in the US. Only, since then, TikTok users have made it the focus of a strange trend – which sees them drink it, then pretend to be dead after consuming it. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Typically, the clips see someone sip the drink, before cutting to them in a fake crime scene looking like they’ve been poisoned. Gen Z is always finding new ways to surprise us, and the odd trend has racked up millions of hits. @wheresxander the foot twitch… it’s grimace taking over. #grimaceshake #grimacesbirthday Now, McDonald’s has addressed the trend with a lighthearted Tweet. The official account posted a picture of a Grimace mascot, writing: “meee pretending i don't see the grimace shake trendd.” The milkshake is only set to be on the menu for a limited time, but it looks like the trend isn’t going anywhere just yet - and the memes keep coming thick and fast. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

House and property tours are popular online, but one woman's has gone viral with her New York City apartment tour since she did it after her place got burned in a fire. Kelsey Soles (@kelseysoles) provided the backstory as she explained how her apartment caught fire as she slept the night before and admitted she was still "in shock" from the incident. “So I woke up surrounded by flames,” she said. “I was going around my apartment trying to find stuff to save. But It’s only up from here,” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Though on a lighter note, Kelsey added there was “a bit of comedic relief was that there was one really cute firefighter that was helping me put out the fire.” She asked for a pair of shoes from her flat as she was barefoot, to which the firefighter retrieved her new pair of 3-inch wedges. Kelsey then showed photos of her burned-down apartment. For the video caption, the TikToker wrote: "My apt burned down last night life is gooooood." While in another video, which she posted from the flat, you could see the place was completely black from where the flames had been put out. In a follow-up clip, Kelsey responded to comments which were asking what the cause of the fire was. “I don’t know the exact cause,” she said. “It was where my Wi-Fi was plugged into and an extension cord plugged into that.” @kelseysoles My apt burned down last night life is gooooood Since sharing what happened, Kelsey's videos have gone viral, receiving 1.5m and 4.5m views respectively, while many took to the comment section to send their love and support. One person said: "Girl this is traumatizing and horrible I’m so sorry this happened to you but I know you're gonna push through. I’m wishing u the best." "Praying for you hun, at least you’re safe. Material things are replaceable you aren’t," another person wrote. Someone else added: "I’ve been through this and it’s actually one of the worst things ever, realise that it’s okay to mourn it wasn’t “just stuff” I promise you’re being set onto a better path, just keep pushing through." "That is so scary I’m so glad you’re okay," a fourth person commented. A GoFundMe for Kelsey has been set up by her friends that has already raised more than $7000. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

No fighting for overhead locker space, no awkward toilet waits – one man has revealed how he enjoyed the ultimate dream flight after becoming the only passenger on board. Phil Stringer explained how his flight from Oklahoma City to Charlotte, North Carolina was delayed by 18 hours, but rather than give up on the journey he decided to endure the long wait. His patience paid out dividends when he rocked up at the departure gate to find he was the only person there – but the flight still went ahead. Originally scheduled for 6.20am on Sunday, it finally took off after midnight, and Stringer became king of the skies: with his pick of first class seats and the finest food and drink American Airlines has to offer. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The TikToker filmed the empty jet accompanied by the caption: “When you buy every single ticket on the plane so you don’t have to deal with people.” He then added: “Just kidding, it was delayed 18 hours and everyone else gave up,” before giving viewers a taste of his once-in-a-lifetime experience. Addressing the camera directly, Stringer said incredulously: “I am the only person on this plane and they have an entire flight crew. They do not want to do this flight.” Laughing, he then filmed a smiling baggage handler who acknowledged that he’d just loaded “all the bags” onto the aircraft. “All” being “one”, that is. Stringer then explained that the airline had been forced to “pull” staff from a nearby hotel to man the flight “for just one person”. He then recorded the aircrew clearly enjoying the whole, bizarre situation: playing up to the camera and keeping things light-hearted as they went through the standard safety announcements. Stringer’s video racked up more than 21.9 million views and 4.5 million likes in just one day, as fellow TikTokers shared their delight and envy at the unusual scenario. “That plane flew just for you! Who else can say that?” one commented, adding: “Private Boeing.” “Love how they all engaged in your experience!” wrote another. @phil.stringer 18-hour delay turned this flight into a private party! ✈️? Watch how the amazing crew and I made the most of it! #americanairlines #flightattendant #airplanetiktok #privateparty #FlightFun #delayedflight #fyp #viral In an interview with Insider, Stringer said that he initially thought he’d missed boarding when he turned up at the empty departure area. “I went to the gate and nobody was there. I was like, ‘Did you guys already board everyone?'” he explained. But, he said, the flight attendant responded: “No, honey, you’re the only passenger.” The lucky traveller told the news outlet that he had tried to change his flight multiple times, to no avail, so spent nearly a whole day waiting in the airport for his delayed departure. Stringer said he felt terrible for getting the crew dragged out of bed to man his journey, insisting he apologised to them “like 400 times”. “They were kind of teasing me, like, ‘Really, bro, you couldn’t have left a few hours later?'” he added. Once the flight finally took off, the unintended VIP spent the whole flight chatting and joking with the friendly team, all while enjoying those tasty first class perks. Reflecting on the adventure, Stringer said: “I believe that your attitude determines your destination. “Yeah, it was a sucky day. No one wants to stay in the airport for 18 hours, but if you have a positive view, you can turn something into a lot of fun.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The “Grimace Shake” has been going viral on TikTok as the trending milkshake is put back on the menu by McDonald's. On the social media platform TikTok, trends can take off in the blink of an eye, ranging anywhere from the skipping challenge and viral dances to dating trends. In recent days, it is a limited edition purple-coloured milkshake that has captured the imagination of TikTokers. Fast food retailer McDonald’s added the Grimace Birthday meal to its United States menus on 12 June in honour of the purple character’s 52nd birthday since it was introduced by the company. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter In response, a new trend has been born with people bizarrely pretending to be dead after consuming the purple drink. What is the Grimace Shake trend? The hashtag #grimaceshake has received 142 million views on TikTok as the trend that sees people pose with the purple shake around them in what appears to be a crime scene has emerged. @kale1ay Bro pls domt get the grimace shake #viral #meme #grimaceshake #grimaceshakemeal #grimaceshakememe #grimacememe #mcdonadlsmeme #skit In the videos, the TikTokers begin by taking a sip of the purple-coloured Grimace milkshake. Then, the scene typically changes to them lying on their side with some of the shake positioned as if they have thrown it up having been poisoned. @wheresxander the foot twitch… it’s grimace taking over. #grimaceshake #grimacesbirthday Some videos are done in an even more dramatic style, with people coughing up the shake as they lay there. @_loganross @abby tried the grimac eshake too !! said it was not too very good, 4/10 because it at least taste dlike bluedberry✌️‼️#fyp #grimaceshake Like most trends, the Grimace shake will gradually die down, particularly given it is a limited edition menu item “while supplies last”. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The tragedy of the ill-fated Titan sub has sparked a flood of interest in ocean adventures and misadventures but there’s a particular group of people who steer well-clear of such subjects. These are sufferers of the rare phobia submechanophpbia, which is the fear of man-made objects submerged partially or fully underwater. For those with the condition, snorkelling expeditions and trips to the local pool can be fraught with dread as the prospect of glimpsing so much as a ball beneath the surface can be enough to trigger waves of panic. Anyone unfamiliar with the phobia but who recognises such feelings of terror might want to check whether they’re submechanophobics themselves. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Handily, the TikTok account 'br1ghtfacts' has created a test to do just that, featuring images that might seem innocuous to many, but strike horror in the hearts of that unique group. It begins with a picture of a flooded mine shaft before moving on to an eye-popping underwater statue. From there, we’re greeted by a photo of a diver hovering by the propellor of an abandoned ship, then by a pretty convincing statue of a crocodile peeking through the surface. Finally, we’re confronted by what the video’s voiceover describes as “the stairway to hell”, showing a metal staircase leading into a body of frozen water. The slideshow has racked up more than 2.6 million views and 193,000 likes as commentators shared their alarm at the catalogue. Interestingly, the most fright-inducing was the second image: the googly-faced statue. “Number two was a JUMP SCARE,” one TikToker wrote. “I have submechanophobia but number 2 got me terrified,” admitted another. “The second one… my soul left my body for a second,” said a third. While a fourth said they “almost fainted at the statue”. @br1ghtfacts Phobia test - submechanophobia ? Submechanophobia is a fear of submerged human-made objects, either partially or entirely underwater. These objects could be shipwrecks, statues, animatronics as seen in theme parks, or old buildings, but also more mundane items such as buoys and miscellaneous debris. #abcxyz #fypシ #creepy #phobia #fy For readers who manage to survive the challenge with your sanity in tact, br1ghtfacts offer other phobia tests that you might want to try out. There’s one for nyctophophia – an extreme fear of the dark; thalassophobia– the fear of deep water; and even fykiaphobia –the fear of seaweed. All we can say is, we’re glad to have our feet planted firmly on solid ground right now. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A growing number of people -- many in medical or artistic fields -- have found themselves catapulted into the digital limelight after becoming accidental stars in the ASMR community.

According to TikTok conspiracy theorists the Titanic never sank. That's what some users are claiming on the short-form video app, with some videos racking up millions of views. Those who believe in this conspiracy think it was the Titanic's sister the ship the Olympic that actually sank. One TikTok account called @official_spooks, that has over 2.2 million likes and posts a range of conspiracy theories, said that the owners of the two ships swapped out the Titanic for the Olympic, which was heavily damaged and not very profitable, at the last minute to recoup some of the insurance money to cover the Olympic. Conspiracy theorists also cite figures such as J.P Morgan pulling out of the trip beforehand as confirmation that something was amiss. With some even going as far to say the J.P. Morgan sunk the ship himself to eliminate his rivals of the Federal Reserve, as well as get insurance money as he controlled the parent corporation of the White Star Line, the British shopping company that operated the Titanic and the Olympic. @official_spooks The titanic never sank??#titanic #titanicsinking #documentary #conspiracy #history However this has been consistently disproved as the historical records as well as common sense do not support the theory. The reason Morgan pulled out from the trip at the last minute was to do with European art collection. And if the financier had wanted to collect insurance money or kill his rivals he'd have to be sure of the iceberg, as well as ensure that his opponents were not on any lifeboats. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Some also claim that James Fenton, a man who worked on building the ship and survived the sinking, said on his deathbed that the ships were switched, and that he was told that if he ever said anything "something bad would happen to him", according to TikTok creator David Justin, who has over 9 million followers. @davidjustinn What it I told you the Titanic never actually sank? ? "It becomes kind of deflating to see a lot of this junk coming out," Charles A. Haas - founder of the Titanic International Society and co-author of five books on the topic - told The New York Times. "I feel like one of the very few voices crying out against the sound of a hurricane." Conversations around the Titanic resurfaced this week after a submersible went missing whilst exploring the ruins of the Titanic. On Thursday night it was announced that the submersible had imploded and all 5 passengers were killed. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

TikTok's chief operating officer Vanessa Pappas is leaving the company, according to an internal memo obtained by CNN, after spending several tumultuous years as its top public advocate and a champion of TikTok creators in the face of accusations the platform poses a national security risk.

A TikTok user has caused a stir online for urging followers to ditch their "fat friends" if they want to be skinny. In a recent clip circulating across the platform, Karmalita speaks about the "law of proximity," a belief that falls under social psychology in which you become who you're surrounded by. The TikToker went on to tell viewers to get rid of their "ugly friends" if they want to be pretty. "You shouldn't be friends with people based on their levels of attractiveness," she said, adding that it's more about "relatability". Karmalita continued: "How the hell are you going to relate to the girl that's crying in the corner complaining about her looks when you're sitting here looking like a snack?" Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter @karmalitafox Law of proximity, surround yourself with people you want to be like so their influence can rub off on you #prettyprivilege She then shifted her attention to more problematic takes, in what some have likened to "Andrew Tate-core", telling people: "If you start hanging out with your fat friends too much, all of a sudden it’s gonna be normalized to get Taco Bell at 2 a.m. in the morning." Thousands of fellow TikTokers flocked to the clip, with one writing: "Hang out with friends who genuinely care about you, make you feel good, ppl who help u grow, make you laugh, friends who don’t judge." Another added: "Just be friends with people with good vibes that help you grow mentally. Appearance is temporary, but true love and friendship last forever." Meanwhile, a third hit back: "I'd like to hope friendships go a lot deeper than looks. we relate on life, career etc however there's truth to this in that you become who you're with." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A man found what appeared to be an abandoned shopping mall after descending a secret, hidden staircase. The eerie footage of the discovery was shared by the TikTok account @just.backrooms1 and has been viewed almost 12 million times in just a few days. At the start of the 3-and-a-half-minute clip, a person could be seen filming what appeared to be a small hole in the ground that looked as though it had been previously covered in concrete. As they placed the camera inside the hole, it revealed a long concrete staircase lined with lights that were still operating. The person filming said: “What I find really weird is that all the lights are on, so that tells me that there’s still something active here.” They proceeded to descend the long staircase and, at the bottom, found themselves faced with a single wooden door. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter @just.backrooms1 Backrooms found in Real life? Long part 1/2 #backrooms #foundfootage #reallife #scary #foryoupage #fürdichseite #part In a follow-up video, they revealed what they had found behind it as the door led to another room with a rusty metal grate across the next opening. Focussing on what was beyond the metal bars, they revealed what appeared to be the checkout counter of an old abandoned store. @just.backrooms1 Backrooms Found in real life? Part 2/2 #backrooms #foundfootage #reallife #scary #fürdichseite #foryoupage #part As the video continued, he filmed through some glass a large atrium of what looks like a shopping mall. Viewers were left baffled by the “scary” discovery and left comments detailing their theories. One person commented: “There is no way that is real... it's so scary.” Another wrote: “What was this or is this used for? My gut says it’s not for anything good!” It also inspired some hilarious comparisons, as someone said: “Going to the toilet in Wetherspoons.” One TikToker said: “Looks like the mall in PS1 Tony Hawk.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Alien fanatics are currently enjoying a prolonged field day, with a whole host of conspiracy theories and sightings to get their teeth into. From whistleblower “revelations” about hushed-up spacecraft, to an E.T. drop-in at a Las Vegas home, there seems no end to the reports on visitors from outer space. The latest of these offers an interesting twist on the usual flying saucer story, because this one is all about a USO. To the uninitiated, USO stands for “unidentified submerged object” or “unidentified submarine object”. In other words, something eerie lurking under the water. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter This particular USO was spotted off the coast of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, last weekend, allegedly by a group of fishermen. The men began filming the ocean around them after they were greeted by an ethereal blue light beaming from beneath the waves. Footage of their close encounter has been widely shared on TikTok, where viewers have been urged to “watch until the end” of the three-minute clip. Those who have the time and inclination to do so will hear the fisherman’s increasingly excited voices cry: “Look! Look! There’s something there!” And, indeed, if you look closely you can make out a figure bobbing up and down in the azure patch of sea. @beyond.our.planet USO caught in Puerto Rico! What do you think? #USO #ufo #ufocommunity #aliensighting #ufosighting #whatsreallygoingon #conspiracy #lasvegasaliensighting #uap #aliens #paranormal #unexplained Naturally, the clip has been seized upon by commentators on both sides of the “aliens are among us” coin, with a third group offering an alternative supernatural explanation. “Forget the light THERE’S DEFINITELY A BEING RIGHT THERE,” wrote one stunned viewer. Meanwhile, one alien hunter insisted that the “creature” at the end of the video looked “exactly the same as [the one] in Las Vegas”. Others were adamant that the strange figure was not an alien but another mythical being. “Seems like a mermaid/siren,” offered one such theorist, adding: “They make that blue circle light under water.” (We appreciate how they’ve stated that as fact.) Others, with their feet planted firmly on solid ground, offered less romantic hypotheses. “What you are witnessing is called bioluminescence. It’s not groundbreaking but it’s pretty cool.” Bioluminescence is light produced by a chemical reaction within a living organism – for example, a fish, jelly or bacteria – which commonly takes the form of a jaw-dropping blueish-green glow. And sure, it may not be as interesting as a mermaid, alien, or “mermaid alien” but we agree, it is still pretty cool to behold. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.