Where Is Joe Byron Now How Bing Bong Is Haunting Sidetalk NYC
The TikTok star behind last year's notable Joe Byron meme has been awfully quiet in 2022. Joe Bryon, whose real name is T.J., went viral thanks to SideTalk NYC after the massive Bing Bong catchphrase embodied New York at the end of last year.
T.J., depicted as unhinged, shouting viral buzzwords on the Coney Island boardwalk, wasn't portrayed as a sober citizen. But as he accumulated TikTok clout, awareness was brought on to the community of his homelessness and substance abuse issues. Many online proceeded to band together in subsequent donations, making progress seem imminent for the struggling influencer. However, as the memes died down (as they always do), so did the uplifting story, with T.J. being recorded in random, public TikToks as if he'd never received any help at all in the ensuing months.
The last the platform (and the internet in general) heard from T.J., he was off on a road trip after receiving donations to help him get sober. In a video posted on January 1st, he'd embarked on a road trip with his friend Zoe. At the end of the video, he's seen dancing in a club in Dallas, Texas, posing with random fans in multiple photos.
Throughout December, T.J. was the subject of a lengthy GoFundMe campaign, started on December 2nd. Without a home and struggling with substance abuse, his friend Zoe helped him set it up in an attempt to achieve sobriety and a better life. In only four days, according to Hot New Hip-Hop, the campaign raised over $26,000, with donors like Bhad Bhabie giving $10,000 in proceeds.
Things were looking up for T.J., who appeared to be doing better as Christmas approached. On December 10th, he flashed new house keys, reporting that he'd bought a home. On December 12th, he was seen shopping in SoHo, updating his wardrobe to match his new lifestyle. He then bought a Chevy Camero on December 16th, having a fan approach him on a block in Coney Island, chasing him down like a TMZ video.
People on TikTok obviously really wanted to see T.J. win. They seemed inspired by the campaign and his backstory, as more random elements began to emerge within the lore, like T.J.'s son, who revealed himself on December 11th, saying he was pleased to see his dad happy.
However, in most of the December TikToks of random passersby stumbling across his glow-up, he didn't seem particularly sober. In every video, he appears very animated (as always), but with a keen eye, some have alleged that he seems to still be struggling with substance abuse, though unconfirmed.
Sometime after the road trip, a TikToker named alen8ov24 caught him at, maybe, his worst, posting a video that he later deleted due to backlash. In the TikTok, T.J. is seen rolling around in a TD Bank ATM room. As alen8ov24 films him from the doorway, he babbles nonsense and proceeds to cry a little bit, asking the videographer to take him home, who continues to insist that he's "dripping," reiterating that he's "seen the videos," in regards to the ones of him owning expensive things.
The video was criticized online as appearing to reflect poorly on both parties or anyone involved in the evolution of the Joe Byron meme. This includes the Jonas Brothers, as well as President Joe Biden himself, who recreated the original TikTok back in December, coincidentally killing the trend as it reached peak saturation shortly after.
The SideTalk guys have been quiet about it too, having not appeared in an interview since December 6th. Meanwhile, Nems, the man holding the microphone in the original Byron video, was interviewed by Variety last week, but nowhere in the interview does he mention the status of T.J.
Much of the internet wants Joe Byron to be an uplifting story, but if everyone turns their cheek to what's really going on, worthwhile progress will likely never be made for the man behind it all. As of late January, the Joe Byron trend is just another case of voyeuristic internet users poking but not flipping over the dead meme on the sidewalk.