TikTokers Are Romantically "Listing" Themselves as if They Were Used Cars
Published Aug. 29 2021, 1:44 p.m. ET
It's not uncommon to come across a large number of social media posts and personalities that makes one feel like the entire concept of an online network is a gigantic cesspool of cringe where individuals are constantly tossing any modicum of dignity or self-respect in the garbage just so others can think that they're great/funny/smart/attractive/etc.
While this isn't always the case, once the car trend on TikTok's been explained to you, you might have a difficult time arguing otherwise.
The car trend on TikTok explained: people sum up their romantic history as a used car sale.
Two of the world's most frightening and dream-killing activities, dating and used car shopping, come together in a viral TikTok trend that sees people list themselves as they would a used car.
If you ever wanted a more fitting romantic metaphor that proves love is dead in 2021, look no further.
How to break down the car trend on TikTok.
The "car trend" has some specific nomenclature with strong correlations to dating questions that occasionally pop up while you're making the rounds of meeting various folks in that ever-persistent quest to find true love... or at least someone who tolerates you enough until you're old and grey and realize you never really truly loved them but that you just convinced yourself you were "OK" with the idea of living with them.
If you've watched enough of these trends, then you'll notice these are the terms thrown into each post. Here they are:
- Previous owner: number of different relationships you've been in.
- Miles: number of people you've slept with.
- Tickets: number of times you kissed someone.
- Year: Year you were born.
- Make: ethnicity/race.
- Damage: physical or mental wear and tear.
- Model: Zodiac sign
- Stickers: Tattoos.
- Accidents: number of people you were getting to know that never turned into a relationship.
- Made in: place of birth.
If you're planning on partaking in the trend, then you'll probably want to jump on the bandwagon fully and use the song "Let’s Groove by absolutenacc" as your sound for it.
Some people are calling the TikTok car trend toxic because it is insulting towards women.
By equating oneself with a used car, many are arguing that it's an affront to an individual's intrinsic value and is an act of commodification. Some also said they found the trend ironic, highlighting that the same TikTok accounts from women who are rallying against individuals objectifying them are the same folks who go and participate in the trend.
Many people stated that they generally "despised" the trend where folks were romantically selling themselves as if they were a used car for sale. The general consensus was that to boil down one's dating history to the same significance of shopping for an old Corolla that hopefully doesn't have too many miles or frame damage is extremely demeaning.
What do you think of the car trend? Do people have a right to be upset? Or is everyone getting all worked up for nothing? Granted the price of used vehicles have been shooting up as of this writing, so maybe the car trend can actually be viewed as a compliment by some?
