A viral TikTok video has people on social media accusing the poster of whitewashing her boyfriend.
The video, posted by @millville_, has 4.4 million views on TikTok. The account is run by “Sarah and Keiran Mills,” according to the page. It’s one of just two videos on the page; however, it’s reasonably easy to understand its popularity.
The TikToker was partaking in a viral trend that has users posting photos of their significant others before and after they started dating. Usually the poster influences their significant other to change their style, and viewers usually find the changes positive.
The caption to start the video reads: “They said ‘post a pic of your boyfriend before you started dating and after’ okay.”
It proceeds to show a “before” photo of the boyfriend dressed in a hoodie and dripped with Jordan XI’s. The “after” photos feature him and his girlfriend—the poster of the video—but now he’s dressed in prep drip, pastels, and oxford shirts. Whether intentional or not, the video was made with the loose implication being that her influence improved him.
Viewers on social media are comparing the young Black man’s situation to Jordan Peele’s film, Get Out, and are accusing the TikToker of making him lighter.
One of the comments asked, “Why he look so edited?”
User @emsonmallari wrote: “Colonized, gentrified, terrified. Free bro.”
Twitter users also went into a frenzy after someone posted screenshots of the video.
One Twitter user dredged up an alleged photo of the boyfriend wearing Birkenstocks as the couple holds up a Trump 2020 flag.
The meme of Andre Hayworth, the brainwashed character played by Lakeith Stanfield in Get Out, made the inevitable appearance—as did the screenshot of Daniel Kaluuya’s character, Chris.
In a follow-up video, the TikToker justifies the original video. “He is who he wants to be. He’s proud of himself. I’m proud of him,” she says.
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