Daniel Larson x Joshua Block (World of T-shirts)

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About

Daniel Larson x Joshua Block (World of T-shirts), also known as Daniel Larson vs. Joshua Block, refers to the 2023 meet-up of AIOPM TikTokers Daniel Larson and Joshua Block, aka World of T-shirts (@worldoftshirts) in New York City. Going into early 2023, fans of both TikTok Lolcows decided to push the two to fight each other in New York City, leading to both of them namedropping one another and starting apparent beef. In April 2023, Daniel Larson revealed that he was in New York, leading to speculation that he might find Block in real life. Awareness of their possible meet-up spread online, resulting in people close to Block (such as TikToker Michael Quinn) condemning the possible collab. On May 10th, 2023, the two actually met up in real life and collaborated with Quinn's help, leading to mass reactions and memes.

History

Starting in mid-2021, fans of Daniel Larson started giving him false information about World of T-shirts, also known as Joshua Block, resulting in TikTok videos uploaded by Larson's account @daniellarsonsuperstar (since-deleted) in which he called out World of T-shirts. One of these videos was reuploaded by TikToker^[1] @daniellarsonsuperfans2 on May 26th, 2021 (shown below). In the video, Larson is seen singing JAY-Z's "Empire State Of Mind," which is a song that's linked to Block's notorious Times Square videos.

On August 27th, 2021, a since-deleted Redditor posted two screenshots to the /r/Daniellarson^[2] subreddit that showed a since-deleted video from Joshua Block's secondary account (@thestarbucksclub) in which Block stated that he wasn't affiliated with or endorsed by Larson (shown below, left). The second screenshot showed a comment purportedly posted by Larson via a since-deleted account called @thickdaniellarson88 (shown below, right).

Boxing Match

On November 22nd, 2022, Block posted a video to his TikTok^[3] account that had text reading, "Daniel Larson, I Challenge You To A Boxing Match in Times Square." The video gained roughly 917,600 plays and 129,700 likes in five months (shown below, left). On December 21st, 2022, TikToker^[4] @joshuablocksuperfan posted a video that showed a recording from Block's Live in which he portrayed worry over his identity being "compromised." @joshuablocksuperfan then cut to a recording of a since-deleted duet from Larson with Block, making fun of his singing (similar to the May 2021 TikTok^[1]) and saying that he will make Block "go bankrupt." The video gained roughly 94,700 plays and 2,200 likes in four months (shown below, right).

Michael Quinn's Involvement

On the same day as Block's November 22nd, 2022, TikTok^[3] post, TikToker^[5] Michael Quinn (@thisismichaelquinn) posted a video with Block on the streets of New York that was a "Message for Daniel Larson," basically posing a vague threat related to the boxing match. The video gained roughly 52,600 plays and 1,700 likes in five months (shown below, left). Quinn would go on to provoke Larson on numerous occasions over TikTok, such as in a stitch Quinn posted to TikTok^[6] on December 20th, 2022, in which he cut one of Larson's videos off by saying, "Over my dead body, pal," gaining roughly 36,200 plays and 1,200 likes in four months (shown below, right).

Going into early 2023, Quinn continued to provoke Larson in his TikTok^[7] content. This led to videos and YouTube community posts being uploaded by Larson in 2023 that attacked Quinn. For instance, on March 1st, 2023, Larson posted a video to his TikTok^[8] account @daniellarsonnyc that was a "message for Michael Quinn," telling Quinn that he would fly to New York City. The video gained roughly 17,200 plays in one month and also inspired Quinn to post a stitch with the video to TikTok^[9] on March 2nd, in which he told Larson he'd pick him up at the airport. The stitch gained roughly 34,300 plays in one month (shown below).

Quinn would later go on to backtrack on his videos as the prospect of Larson coming to New York in late March 2023 became more plausible. This coincided with false information that Larson was being given by his fans that Quinn was Block's manager and was out to "get him" too.^[10]^[11]

Daniel Larson In NYC

On April 4th, 2023, Redditor Ok_Book_7521 posted a video to the /r/Daniellarson^[12] subreddit titled "IN THE BIG APPLE" and allegedly showed Larson in the passenger seat of a car driving through New York City. The video gained over 440 upvotes in less than a day. The video was quickly reposted by TikToker^[13] @cjhink89 on April 4th, gaining roughly 43,600 plays and 4,100 likes in less than a day (shown below).

According to posts in the /r/Daniellarson^[14] subreddit, a currently unknown fan of Larson purportedly flew him out to New York City and put him up in a local hotel. Other photos were shared by Redditor^[15]^[16] QuantumZazzy on April 4th, 2023, that showed him picking up Larson from a New York airport (shown below).

Michael Quinn's Response

Upon learning that Larson was purportedly in NYC, Michael Quinn posted multiple videos to TikTok that condemned Larson for being there and possibly seeking out Block for an altercation. For instance, on April 4th, 2023, Quinn posted a TikTok^[17] that stated someone had given his home address to Larson, earning roughly 215,200 plays and 10,400 likes in one day (shown below, left). Also on April 4th, Quinn posted a TikTok^[18] in which he said that he was going to hire bodyguards for Block, earning roughly 101,000 plays and 3,500 likes in one day (shown below, right).

Discourse about Larson's supposed arrival in New York also surfaced on the /r/WorldOfTShirts^[19] subreddit as well.

Daniel Larson "Jumped" In New York

On April 6th, 2023, TikToker^[20] @danielmrpresident posted a video. It seemed to be a cropped screen-recording of Larson's most-recent TikTok Live in New York on his then-active account @daniellarsonworkbackup.^[21] In the video, Larson appeared hospitalized with a bandage over his nose and blood, proclaiming that he was "assaulted by two fans" after being in New York for less than 24 hours. The video gained roughly 467,400 plays and 37,000 likes in one day (shown below, left). Early in the morning on April 7th, Block posted a TikTok^[22] video in which he taunted Larson for getting assaulted. The video gained roughly 228,900 plays and 26,100 likes in less than a day (shown below, right).

Daniel Larson and Joshua Block's May 10th, 2023 Meet-up

On May 9th, 2023, TikToker^[23] @thisismichaelquinn posted a video in which he was having a meal with Daniel Larson, gaining roughly 129,300 plays and 7,600 likes in two days (shown below, left). About an hour later, Quinn uploaded a second TikTok^[24] in which he stated that Block agreed to meet Larson in real life, gaining roughly 277,300 plays and 22,200 likes in two days. On May 10th, 2023, Block posted a TikTok^[25] showing that he and Larson were together in real life in a New York City Starbucks. In less than a day, the video gained over 2.2 million plays and 428,000 likes (shown below, right).

In addition to Block's video, Quinn also posted a different angle of their meet-up to TikTok^[26] on May 10th, gaining roughly 892,400 plays and 136,400 likes in less than a day (shown below, left). During their meet-up in the Starbucks, Block went Live and had a conversation with Larson, who revealed that he'd been sleeping in the Fulton Street Subway station in Manhattan (screen recording shown below, right).

Memes about the meet-up started to appear on the platform and discourse about it appeared on Reddit.^[27]^[28] For instance, on May 10th, 2023, TikToker^[29] @farmernick01humorously compared their meet-up to Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un shaking hands, gaining roughly 382,900 plays and 80,100 likes in less than a day (shown below).