Slushy Noobz: The mind-bendingly banal duo taking TikTok by storm [Video]

Taken from the winter 2024 issue of Dazed. You can buy a copy of our latest issue here.

If one thing is certain in 2024, it’s that the internet is an ever-growing festival of absurdity (read Clive Martin on our addiction to mind-bendingly banal content here). One moment, you’re placidly watching an AI bee play an instrumental saxophone cover of “Always Remember Us This Way”, the next you’re clicking on a deep-fried meme captioned “Mama a girl behind you” – and all, seemingly, for no reason at all. Unlike typical viruses, which diminish in power with mutation, the current wave of brain rot appears only to be claiming more victims. But who is responsible for this digital contagion? Who are the true originators – the patient zeros?

Recently, I stumbled upon two people asking similar questions. Hamzah and Martin are the pair behind Slushy Noobz, a cult YouTube channel chronicling the current wave …