Vegetable, whole grain, fruit and now a viral star with its own official ambassador. Of course, we are talking about corn!
You may have seen the viral TikTok video or heard about Tariq, the lovable boy who recently went viral for his absolute love of buttered corn. Social media’s obsession with Tariq began after he appeared on the web series “Recess Therapy,” where the host, comedian Julian Shapiro-Barnum, interviews kids in New York City and posts his often hilarious , clips online.
In the viral TikTok video, Tariq’s sweet enthusiasm and excitement for corn will make it clear why everyone is so obsessed. It’s not just the fact that it starts with, “Ever since I was told corn was real…” or that it then even thoughtfully adds in a part about how not everyone has to like it (I mean, come on, how gorgeous!) or, (possibly the best part) describing him as, “a big knobby lump,” but that’s all he says and especially his cute little voice.
Since then, the interview has gained over 3 million views on YouTube and over 800,000 on TikTok!
And now, it’s even got the attention of the governor of South Dakota. Governor Kristi L. Noem crowned Tariq the state’s official “Corn Bassist” and even dubbed September 3 “Official Corn Bassist Tariq Day.”
For his first official stop on behalf of the vegetable, Tariq was invited to tour the famous Corn Palace in South Dakota. Over Labor Day weekend, he visited the building that houses murals featuring thousands of grains in a variety of hues.
“Tariq’s a-maize-ing endorsement contains more than a grain of truth and has reached the ears of the world via social media.”
The original Cornfluencer interview even inspired The Gregory Brothers, who put the viral social media moments into a soundtrack on their account, to make a remix that has since trended on TikTok.
The sound they created has been used in over 645,000 TikToks videos! Mademoiselleosaki’s Dave Jorgenson even used it for an explainer video about how cornfields release “staggering levels of moisture” into the air.
Google Trends reports that searches for “corn song” have been on the rise. Chipotle even featured Tariq and of course corn in an ad. Tariq is also working on the Cameo app, where you can book celebrities for personalized videos, and their starting fee starts at $220.
Everyone from celebrities like Barbara Corcoran, to sports teams like the Colorado Rockies, and even federal agencies like NASA, have paid tribute in different ways to Tariq, the “Corn Kid.”
If you’re still hungry for more corn content, there’s even an entire hashtag dedicated to it called #CornTok, where all the videos featuring the official song “It’s Corn” exist.
As he said in the viral video, Tariq just wants everyone to have a “fantastic day.”
Source: www.mother.ly