TikToker Carly Silberman said her Tourette’s became a Black Lives Matter activist overnight, and she’s “totally fucking for it.”
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a chronic nervous system disorder that causes involuntary repetitive motions and sounds—often referred to as tics—like jerking body parts and yelling out words or phrases.
While recording the video, Silberman unintentionally interrupts herself to say, “Fuck 12,” “ACAB,” and “Black Lives Matter.”
“Fuck 12” means “fuck the police,” specifically the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Narcotics Unit, according to HITC. “ACAB” is an acronym for “all cops are bastards.”
The two phrases have reentered the mainstream as people call for a reimagining of policing as global protests against police brutality and racial injustice head into their sixth week.
Movements calling to defund the police, which in function would reallocate part of police budgets for policing alternatives and social services like education and mental health programs, are gaining popularity (as are calls to fully abolish the police).
Silberman’s videos usually do well, often garnering between 100,00 and 400,000 views. But this video, posted with the simple caption “BRUHHH,” already has 4.8 million views on the app.
“I mean, I support it. I mean, I love Black Lives Matter, but I don’t know when that happened. I woke up today and was like, ‘Fuck 12,’” Silberman says in the video, seemingly tickled by the whole thing.
“Tourette’s for Black Lives Matter,” she said while holding up a fist in the air.
Initially, Silberman says she hoped the new tic would stop since the head-jerking tic is making her neck hurt, but she almost immediately backtracked.
“Hopefully I stop doing that, actually no. I hope I pass a cop in the street and I scream ‘Fuck 12’ to them, and I’m like ‘Oh, you can’t get mad at me, it’s not my fault, awwww, hmm, hehe” she says, ending the clip with a giggle.
“The giggle at the end sent me,” wrote @weh.7.
Echoing the sentiment of other commenters @nilla said, “that’s how u know ur hearts in the right place.”
“i am 100% acab but tics are COMPLETELY random like i say stuff like chocolate aliens,” replied Silberman.
She explained to another TikToker that most of her tics are completely random, and the majority aren’t verbal.
Most of the replies in Silberman’s comment section are her dropping nuggets of her experience with Tourette’s for those unfamiliar with the syndrome.
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