TikTok’s ‘look at my son’ trend, explained

Plenty of babies are still being born, never fear, but among an increasing number of millennials and Gen-Z, the only qualification required for parenthood is the ownership of a furry friend.

We’ve moved far past the days of “crazy cat ladies” to a new era. This one is in which the bulk of America’s youth sees those furbabies as their only path to parenthood.

The latest trend to rear its head on TikTok leans into this phenomenon with perfect ease, poking fun at the unfortunate failings of our pets. We might think of them as our children, and — as such — it’s important to know where they shine and where they… well, don’t.

What is the ‘look at my son’ trend on TikTok?

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton remains one of the most popular modern musicals, leading its songs to frequent TikTok trends and odd online happenings. The latest track from the mega-popular 2015 musical to rise on TikTok is “Dear Theodosia,” performed by Miranda himself, alongside Leslie Odom Jr.

A small sampling of the song serves as the perfect backdrop to all our furbabies’ most unexpected, unintelligent, and generally wild instincts.

As Miranda croons out “look at my son/pride is not the word I’m looking for/there is so much more inside me now,” people are showing off their “sons” at their absolute worst, and raising the web’s spirits in the process.

Look, we all love our pets, but sometimes there is absolutely nothing going on behind those eyes.

It’s a familiar sentiment among, in particular, cat owners, who delight in the opportunity to poke fun at their felines’ less-than-intelligent moments.

It’s far from a cat-centric trend, despite the feline dominance of the sound. Plenty of dogs, birds, and even reptiles earned their position among TikTok’s most hilariously empty-headed pets.

But seriously, why are they like this? Is it something we did?

It’s a good thing that love is unconditional. Our pets provide us with endless entertainment, unquestioning loyalty, and ceaseless love — the least we can do in return is put up with all their dopey shenanigans.