WTF Did I Watch?
Don't stop, make it pop: my thoughts on the viral 52-part TikTok series I spent way too much time watching and the rest of my Weekly What
The following includes general spoilers for the Who TF Did I Marry TikTok series.
Last night I spent hours consuming at 52-part TikTok series.
Yesterday, it came to my attention (via Instagram, of course, because I get my TikTok news there like the grown up I am) a 52-part series was trending on TikTok. Now, I’m not going to lie, in general I do not highly regard TikTok. My initial response (my actual, literal response to the person who is responsible for bringing this to my attention) was, “what the hell could possibly warrant enough content for a 52-part TikTok?! There’s no way!” They laughed at me, told me to search Who TF Did I Marry, and that was the end of our conversation because my curiosity got the better of me and in this instance the cat ended up spending hours of their Thursday evening consumed with this series.
TL;DW
This trending juggernaut is about a week old so by now there are many detailed articles summarizing the Who TF Did I Marry? series. The super short summary is a woman ended up married to a man who was a complete and total liar. His background was made up, his family history, his job, work, and education experience, net worth, all lies and she combs through them in detail. They were together little more than a year and by the time she kicked him out of her house she discovered he lied about everything from deaths of people close to him to the daily phone calls with family members (there was no one on the other end of the conversations she was overhearing.) The lies ran deep and though there were obvious red flags he provided enough evidence to keep her fooled for a while.
The story is salacious, somewhat reminiscent of Dirty John (which I also binged, in podcast format.) The TikToker relating the story does so in a compelling way. She has a story to tell and she tells it in an organized yet conversational manner; I felt as if I were facetiming with a girlfriend telling me a wild story.
That intimate feeling + captivating content = I hopped right down that rabbit hole and never looked back.
This saga, told in 52 installments over the course of several days, is nearly 8 hours long in total and millions of people have watched at this point. This is likely the most unifying viewing experience we have had since the Super Bowl Halftime Show. This has me thinking about how people prefer to consume their content these days (really a topic always running in the background of my brain.)
Last night, watching this story was the longest I’ve ever used TikTok in a single sitting. In fact, I expect it’s the longest I’ve ever used TikTok combined as I’m always reluctant to use the platform.
Some Reflections
I don’t prefer video content. I think it has its place, but generally I prefer to read my content, and yes, I realize this an increasingly unpopular stance. This likely comes as no surprise as the bookworm I am, but I find it more convenient. With written content I choose the consumption pace, I can skim to find what I need or I can read every word, I can quickly discern whether it’s even worth my time. When I’m watching video I feel as though I’m totally at the mercy of the video, it’s a very passive experience. I watched this series at 2x and skipped around a bit, but it’s much harder to have a personalized viewing experience vs reading.
Editing! Oh, how I value editing. I appreciate social media platforms offer creators the ability to tell their stories authentically, in their own words; there’s value in that. The woman recounting her marriage saga specifically said it felt cathartic to share her story publicly and I get that. And, from the consumer end, there really is value in a narrative being laid out in its entirety and then properly edited. These 52 installments somewhat recalled when I’m reading a classic I know was serialized when it originally published or 10-15 years ago when everything had to be a trilogy, stories told in this manner are unnecessarily bloated.
I appreciate a long form story, I like seeing others enjoy one too. On the heels of concern for attention spans (I’m still concerned), insistence viewers practically want to start in the middle of a seconds long video because they’ll be lost if there’s merely a pause at the top, this 8 hour series is dominating a short form content platform. I find it sort of horrifying this is something of a positive, but it goes to show if you give the people compelling content they will lend their attention.
Where Does This Leave Me and TikTok?
I’m still unconvinced it’s somewhere I need to be. It’s always intriguing to be part of a trend, which at this point has launched legions of reaction and spin off videos, summary articles, etc. But I’m not rushing back to the clock app any time soon, the last thing I need is more social media.
Should You Watch the 50-part Series?
If you love primary texts or really value being part of the zeitgeist, go for it. It’s probably more worth your time than most other things on the platform. If you just want to know what every is talking about do yourself a favor and read a solid summary.
In Conclusion
The woman sharing her saga said she does so because it’s cathartic for her, but mostly to warn others to trust their gut and pay attention to red flags in relationships - valid. And truly no shade to this woman because we’ve all made questionable decisions in relationships, but I think the bigger takeaway here should be not to rush into relationships! Marriage is a binding, legal contract with very real implications. In the state of Georgia, where this story unfolded, she could not legally kick this man out of her home before their divorce was finalized. Yes, pay attention to red flags, yes, trust your gut, but people, KNOW WHO YOU ARE MARRYING! Don’t enter into a legally binding contract just because you feel it’s something you must check off in order to sleep with, live with, or be in a serious relationship with someone! In fact, I think it’s a good idea to do all of those things BEFORE you sign your name on the dotted line. In my mind, that’s the real moral of this story.
Have you watched this series? Do you prefer video or written content? Thoughts? Tell me!
What I’m…
Reading
After Annie by Anna Quindlen. A solid drama exploring the fallout of a family the year after a mother of 3 dies unexpectedly. Publishes next Tuesday 2/27.
The People Who Report More Stress by Alejandro Varela. I enjoyed this short story collection from the author of The Town of Babylon, a novel I also enjoyed. Read for the Aspen Words Longlist Book Club.
Green Dot by Madeline Gray. Full of modern ennui and sharp, at times funny, writing. Publishes next Tuesday 2/27 in the U.S.
Listening
Data Baby: My Life in a Psychological Experiment by Susanna Breslin. An interesting memoir whose author was part of a groundbreaking longitudinal study for decades beginning as a young child.
Temple Folk by Aaliyah Bilal. An illuminating short story collection about Black Muslims. Read for the Aspen Words Longlist Book Club.
Eve: 200 Million Years of The Female Body by Cat Bohannon. This book is fascinating! One of the Women’s Prize longlisters.
The Ezra Klein Show: Here’s How an Open Democratic Convention Would Work. This is not something I foresee coming to pass soon, but I did find this discussion on modern vs traditional conventions enlightening.
Watching
The Gilded Age (Max). From the creators of Downton Abbey. Just started season 2 and I’m very into this show!
Eating & Drinking
All of these are recipes I’ve made many times. We needed an easy, comforting sort of week.
Chipotle Sweet Potato Chowder with a side of Beer Bread
French Dip Sandwiches (I sub red wine for the water; I recommend this as a general practice) + roasted cauliflower.
Links + Loves
Trader Joe’s Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream. My hands get dry in the winter and I like to put on some lotion before bed. I’m kind of picky about hand cream and this one delivers! It’s heavy and moisturizing, but not greasy and it has a light, pleasant scent (I am very sensitive to scents, light is key). AND it costs $5.
Speaking of moisturization, this is my favorite lip balm.
I meant to include this last week! The first Women’s Prize for Non-fiction Longlist was announced.
Speaking of lists, Libby (yes, the reading app) announced finalists for their first ever awards. The nominations are made by an expert panel of librarians and will be voted on by librarians and library workers across North America. The selections are really solid! Winners will be announced March 12.
What Does It Mean for a Book to "Work"? Appreciate
continuing to unpack book critiquing/reviewing. Her posts are always food for my thoughts.The art of doing nothing: have the Dutch found the answer to burnout culture? If doing nothing is an art just call me da Vinci.
ICYMI
This week’s blog posts:
That’s it for this week’s Weekly What! If you enjoy my rambles please consider subscribing, sharing, liking, or recommending to a friend.
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Until next time!
I am with you. I really am not a video content consumer for all the reasons you listed.