POV: We're X and We Make Eye Contact While We're Y

Submission 8,009

Part of a series on POV Memes. [View Related Entries]

About

POV: We're X and We Make Eye Contact While We're Y, also written POV: We’re X and I Catch Your Eye While We’re Y, is a phrasal template associated with a POV TikTok trend in which the creator pretends to make eye contact with the viewer, set to the song "Up" by Olly Murs. The creator often plays the part of an animal (worm, chicken, wolf, etc.) that makes eye contact with another member of its species during a species-specific activity (squirming, running, hunting, etc.). The trend started with earnest iterations related to making genuine eye contact with a potential lover in public. Ironic iterations then surfaced using the same sound in late 2022.

Origin

On November 20th, 2021, TikToker^[1] fabianxarnold posted a video that used the song "Up" by Olly Murs, primarily leading with the lyrics, "Just tell me it's not the end of the line. I never meant to break your heart." The TikToker's video had text overlay reading, "POV: You called a company to cut the trees," in which he makes eye contact with the viewer from a distance as the chorus progresses. Over the course of 11 months, the video received roughly 12.3 million plays and 1.5 million likes (shown below).

Spread

Going into December 2021, numerous TikTok e-boys on the app began recreating the trend, earning mass engagement with their thirst trap style content. For instance, on November 28th, 2021, TikToker^[2] its.julien.brown posted a similar POV eye contact video, gaining roughly 12.2 million plays and 1.4 million likes in 11 months (shown below, left). On December 9th, 2021, TikToker^[3] bene.schulz posted an iteration, gaining roughly 14.6 million plays and 1.5 million likes in 10 months (shown below, right). The aforementioned e-boys were dubbed the "Elevator Boys" due to multiple viral TikToks^[8] in which they stopped elevator doors from closing and making eye contact.

Satirical iterations of the trend started to emerge as well in late 2021 due to the apparent cringe that the e-boys were emitting. For instance, on December 16th, 2021, TikToker^[4] sexyketts posted a satirical iteration, gaining roughly 17.2 million plays and 3.5 million likes in 10 months (shown below, left). On December 18th, 2021, TikToker^[5] tiktokpj green-screened himself into one of the e-boy videos and then made eye contact with the viewer. Over the course of 10 months, the video received roughly 29 million plays and 3.9 million likes (shown below, right).

In 2022, the satirical iterations became more elaborate, imagining more absurd scenarios in which romantically suggestive eye contact could be made. On August 15th, 2022, TikToker^[6] bhaiii_ pretended to be a pigeon making eye contact with another pigeon when flying over rooftops. The video received roughly 5.5 million plays and 967,000 likes in two months (shown below, left). Following bhaiii_'s example, numerous TikTokers uploaded animal-centric versions thereafter. For instance, on August 17th, 2022, TikToker^[7] boggmonsterr posted an iteration about being a worm making eye contact with another worm while escaping mud, earning roughly 3.8 million plays and 663,500 likes in two months (shown below, right).