John Pork's Meme Legacy Predates His Viral TikTok Phone Calls

The Gist:

• John Pork first appeared on the internet in 2018.
• John Pork is a computer-generated character with over 314,000 followers on Instagram.
• John Pork calling on TikTok is a new viral trend that has helped the half man, half swine become TikTok famous.

It's not uncommon for old and popular memes from the internet's yesteryear to receive newfound attention on today's popular social media platforms like TikTok.

If you look up some recent meme compilations, an old Vine or a popular YouTube sketch from the early 2010s may have found its way onto something. Heck, even a meme from a couple of years ago that's already faded into obscurity might be able to get picked up by today's trendsetters in order to start something completely new.

In this particular instance, you may want to watch out for the next time your phone rings. Rather than a call from your parents or Scam Likely, you may just be getting a call from John Pork. This meme figure has made the rounds on the internet before, but he's found a new platform on TikTok in multiple different meme formats and pop culture references. More likely than not, though, you'll find that John Pork is calling on TikTok. Here's what you should know about the recent meme.

According to Know Your Meme, John Pork is a virtual influencer. He is typically depicted as a man with a human body and an uncanny pig's head imposed onto him. Reportedly, he first appeared on the internet in 2018 via an Instagram account, where he describes himself as a fashion model in his bio. He's posted rather infrequently over the past few years, but his most recent Instagram post was uploaded in November 2023.

However, John Pork seems to have generated newfound popularity on TikTok.

On the popular video-sharing platform, several people are posting about John Pork. Most commonly, folks are uploading videos about receiving calls from John Pork himself. Some of the punchlines involving some pig-related joke or even just a silly dance, but for the most part, the joke is simply the fact that John Pork is calling at all as opposed to what it is he has to say.

As of this writing, John Pork videos have received hundreds of thousands if not millions of plays and likes across TikTok.

Many new TikTok accounts have tagged themselves as "the real John Pork." Interestingly enough, though, the actual John Pork (the one who originated on Instagram) is surprised at all of the new attention he's been getting recently. In a series of Instagram stories posted in late March 2023, John Pork revealed that he's gained several thousand new followers on Instagram thanks to his viral status on TikTok. He's since shown his appreciation for folks sharing the meme on their platforms.

John Pork isn’t real person but is a digital character who was either created by a real person or a group of people. And while you may be wondering who the genius is behind the trending man-pig on social media, that still remains a mystery.

As of this writing, John currently has over 314,000 followers on Instagram. He'll undoubtedly continue riding his new meme status to achieve a new level of internet fame that he might not have reached were it not for TikTok. Speaking of TikTok, while it took John some time to establish himself on the platform, he finally joined in 2023, and now has over 100,000 followers.