The Year on TikTok 

Hello, Lovely Subscribers 

We’ve put together a special end-of-the-year newsletter for you! I enlisted my talented, creative, and generally fabulous coworkers to share their favorite moments of the year on TikTok and beyond.

We hope you enjoy this special edition of Vocal Verified. We’ll be back in the New Year for your regularly scheduled chaos. Until then, I think I speak for the whole Vocal team in wishing you happy holidays and a happy New Year!

Vocal’s Top Moments of 2022 

Favorite TikTok Trend of 2022: Zach Rates the 150 OG Pokemon
Certainly the most underrated, undiscovered TikTok trend of 2022 by Vocal’s own Zach Fang. I was obsessed with this series: “rating the original 150 Pokemon on if I’d trust them alone in a room with Matt Gaetz.”

Unfortunately, we never got the full 150.

Favorite TikTok video: The American Shrimp Competition
This is why I love TikTok, I need to know about the annual American Shrimp Contest!

Favorite zeitgeist moment of 2022: Discord fandoms
Discord fandoms growing out of TikTok communities is super exciting. Seeing people connect based on mutual interest (like an artist, or influencer) but then build genuine communities off-platform to talk about other things is inspiring

Favorite TikTok trend of 2022: Reading Rainbow
I truly don’t understand how anything in this world works and this trend makes me feel seen. Also reading rainbow was a staple in my household growing up and any trend that tugs at my millennial nostalgia is a hit in my book.

Favorite TikTok video: It’s Corn!
Recess Therapy is the best thing that ever happened to me. Simply corn-tastic.

Favorite zeitgeist moment of 2022: Kendall Jenner trying to cut a cucumber
The rich have their own problems.

Favorite TikTok trend of 2022: the boat filter
It was interesting how many people around the world took the collective trauma of being told they aren’t wanted and turned it into a meme.

Favorite TikTok video: Fresh Prince goes country

Favorite zeitgeist moment of 2022: Ticketmaster
My dad never grew out of his rock and roll days of college. As such, I grew up hearing about how terrible Ticketmaster was whenever he tried to get Springsteen, Billy Joel, Elton John tickets, etc. There was really nothing more evil than Ticketmaster. Tour after tour I would sit in parking lots and listen to well-off boomers say how this is one of the worst things to happen to them, but no action would be taken and a few months later some aging rock star would come to the East Coast and the cycle would repeat. It took one Taylor Swift sale and millennials and Gen-Z forced congressional action. Hopefully, this episode foreshadows the change these generations will continue to make about topics they are passionate about.

Favorite TikTok trend of 2022: Do You Wear Wigs?
Do You Wear Wigs set to Under The Sea was peak comedy!!! There were so many creative takes on it. The video I’m including is one of my favorites as a neurodivergent person living with another neurodivergent person where one of us (them) is really good at sticking to plans and the other one (me) is really good at forgetting the plan and creating chaos immediately.

Favorite zeitgeist moment of 2022: Don’t Worry Darling
Truly nothing will top Chris Pine/Harry Styles spit gate, you cannot change my mind. Every moment of the Don’t Worry Darling drama cleared my skin and filled my heart; I have never been more invested in celebrity gossip. My roommate and I got invested enough in it that for her birthday, I surprised her with a big group showing on opening weekend.

Favorite TikTok trend of 2022: I Crop Dust In Whole Foods Baaabyyy
This was one of my fav sounds of 2022. My roommate and I STILL reference it constantly and I think it was from February. Ask my to define anyone and I’ll probably do it this way (I’m usually “I cropdust in whole foods” but sometimes I’m “BABBBY”).

Favorite zeitgeist moment of 2022: CODA winning at the Academy Awards!

Favorite TikTok trend of 2022: the Cuff It dance trend
Obviously, because I’m a Beyhive for life 

Favorite TikTok video: an ancient man
I’m literally obsessed with this girl and have memorized her answer and movements because she’s so iconic and original.

Favorite zeitgeist moment of 2022: Christian Walker harassing Kehlani in the Starbucks drive-through line.

Favorite TikTok trend of 2022: rankings
I think it’s very interesting to see people’s opinions, every meme is easy to understand and I could watch these all day!

Favorite TikTok video: moth-tok
Tony is my favorite creator and his videos ALWAYS make me laugh.

Favorite zeitgeist moment of 2022: Elon Musk buying Twitter.
(and running it into the ground)

Favorite TikTok trend of 2022: Katrina
I have one wish for TikTok in 2023— more ballroom.

Favorite TikTok video: bruschetta
I love a well-deserved call-out. Plus there’s a whole essay to be written here about performative European identities and new ways of disguising misogyny…

Favorite zeitgeist moment of 2022: The quiet-quitting, soft-life, I-do-not-dream-of-labor phenomenon.
Seeing these topics in the zeitgeist, and these terms becoming a real part of our discourse has been thrilling. Especially in light of historic strikes and unionization efforts from workers.

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