Tech
Why You're Seeing #WhiteLieParties On Your TikTok Feed Right Now
The trend is quietly taking over the app.
There is a new generation of theme parties upon us. Over the past couple of months, TikToks from White Lie Parties have been growing in popularity. Currently, the couple hundred of videos under the hashtag #whitelieparty have a collective 6.92 views. While it’s not nearly as popular as trends like the “Then Leave” dance — over 2 million videos have been made using the same audio clip from BeatKing — the number of TikTok #WhiteLieParty posts only appears to be growing since July.
The concept is pretty straightforward: everyone wears a plain white t-shirt with a white lie written on it, often in thick black Sharpie. In general, a white lie tends to be a small, inconsequential falsity. (“I’m on my way!”; “No, your hair looks fine”; “Yes, I definitely interested in hearing your take on Lord of the Rings.”) On TikTok, the white lies written on shirts range from relatively innocuous (“Low maintenance”; “I’ll be ready in five minutes”) to more controversial (“My girlfriend’s not crazy”; “I use condoms”; “I like Mexican guys”) to, shall we say, topical (“I have corona”).
There are also lots of white lies specific to dating history: I’m over him, I won’t text her again, I’ve never ghosted anyone, I actually loved him.
One #WhiteLieParty video shows a chalkboard sign noting "This party meets CDC guidelines" though it isn't clear whether that's true or on-theme. As a whole, the comments section of the #WhiteLieParty videos don't have much coronavirus-related backlash. Many health experts are saying it still isn’t safe to throw or attend parties. The U.S. as a whole hasn’t effectively flattened the curve with many areas seeing rising numbers of confirmed cases. The current CDC guidelines are still advising we follow social distancing guidelines (e.g. six feet apart from others, minimize the number of shared surfaces, don't share food or drinks). Experts are also still cautioning against parties of over 10 people, indoors, sans masks.
If you're looking to throw or attend a social gathering, White Lie Party or otherwise, it may be best to wait a while.
