A niche corner of the internet has seeped into mainstream internet (what does that even mean anymore?) and quickly became a full-on meme because no one has any idea what’s going on.
Earlier this week, a nearly incomprehensible TikTok video by @h00pify about Baby Gronk stealing Livvy from The Drip King was reshared on Twitter, causing the internet to spiral over who these people are and what this “drama” really means.
Let’s break it down.
Who is Baby Gronk?
Baby Gronk is a 10-year-old football prodigy and influencer.
His real name is Madden San Miguel and he’s amassed over 319K followers because of the online presence his father has manufactured for him as the “next big thing in college football recruiting.”
Who is Livvy?
Livvy is a TikTok star, model, and LSU gymnast who is among the highest-earning college athletes. Her real name is Olivia Dunne and she posted positively about Baby Gronk back in March.
Baby Gronk’s father used this as an opportunity to jokingly post about them going on dates across social media.
Livvy used to be linked to Caleb Hammett, known on social media as The Drip King.
How did this meme start?
Creator Henry De Tolla, known as @h00pify, has been covering this fake drama on TikTok as if it were real. His bizarre reporting style, combined with his over-exaggerated Gen Z language, has catapulted it to meme-status.
“But h00pify decided to use terms like ‘rizzed up’ and ‘drip.’ And this person’s face and tone while reading it, I can only describe it as AI trying to read a straight-faced version of a parody of how Gen Z might talk. The TikToks also have weird noises and sound effects, and honestly, this dude has to be doing some weird bit,” writes Tim Marcin for Mashable of the TikToker’s videos.
“Rizz” is derived from “charisma” and is Gen Z slang for charm, while “drip” means swag.
@h00pify Is Livvy using Baby Gronk for clout? #livvy #babygronk #dripking #lsufootball #collegefootball #rizz #tattoo #highschoolfootball #football #youthfootball #livvydunne #calebhammett #thedripking #henrydetolla #h00pify #detolla #louisianastateuniversity
♬ Nfl Theme – Official Sports Bar Version – Playin’ Buzzed
In speaking with NBC News, Henry agreed that his video would be a bizarre watch if you’re not across these influencers or his lingo. “If you don’t know what these words mean, it just sounds like I’m speaking gibberish almost,” he told journalist Kalhan Rosenblatt.
While Henry’s video has caused internet users to spiral over his word salad, journalist Kelsey Weekman notes that we’re not supposed to understand and that’s what makes it funny.
“You really don’t need to know all of it. There’s no reason to catch up on manufactured drama between young athletes. This ‘drama’ surfaced because the buzzwordy lingo and odd sounding characters were literally just…funny. You’re not old for being out of the loop here. You are normal,” she writes for okay zoomer.
Basically, the humour is in how unhinged Henry’s video is— not in the actual fake drama itself.
And that’s on the latest viral meme that we can all look forward to forgetting sometime soon.