A Guide to Kids’ Culture for Out-of-Touch Adults: What’s a “Ball-Hungry” Person?
Today’s roundup of trending topics explains the meaning of “ballhog,” how a video of someone wrapping a burger led to a new meme format, and the dangers of tripping on Benny. So buckle up, and let’s get going!
What is a “ballhog”?
Ballhog, or “ball hog,” is a streetwear style gaining popularity among young people. At least, among those who are into it. The idea is to wear vintage clothing that looks ordinary, even bland, to most, but that those in the know might recognize as interesting or unique. Like the best youth trends, it’s a matter of “us versus them,” and understanding it requires some knowledge. Here are a few examples: if you wear a Helmut Lang denim jacket from the late 1990s , most people will think it’s “thrift store,” but a fan of the ballhog style will recognize it as an iconic piece from streetwear history. If you want to be a ballhog, skinny jeans are a no-no, unless they’re from Dior Homme or at least Cheap Monday .
This style is named after the Ball Hog Collective, a group of rappers, Twitch streamers, and content creators founded by the Atlanta-based independent label Ballhog . It was popularized by streamer Brady Goodwin , who can be seen below in a very “ballhog” look:
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The hashtag #ballhog (as it used to be called) has been gaining popularity lately, with more and more kids posting videos showing off their “softly charged” outfits, like this:
The popularity of this style, in my opinion, is explained by how difficult it is to commercialize. Most truly organic trends are quickly recognized by cultural enthusiasts, and a few months later, a clothing line appears at Target, but that’s not the case with Ballhog. It’s impossible to create “new” Ballhog clothing, as that would immediately mark it as inauthentic. Credit to young people for embracing a style that is both exclusive and unmistakable.
What is the “while they’re at the party, by the way” meme?
At the opposite end of the spectrum from “fashion chic” is the “while they’re hanging out” meme —videos created to showcase the strange, idiosyncratic, and usually useless talent someone develops while others are wearing cool clothes and socializing. The phrase has been around since last year, when TikToker @tacobella posted this video.
But recently, it’s become especially popular thanks to the huge number of views of this video, which shows off some truly amazing burger-wrapping skills:
This led to a rash of videos of people bragging about what they were doing instead of having fun. For example, this mechanic:
This gym regular:
and here’s this pickleball player:
This is already the second youth trend that I wholeheartedly support. Not all of us can be arrogant and selfish, and not all of us have talent, but we can all learn to do something really well through brute force and repetition.
What do the words “crunged” and “scuba” mean?
The past tense of the verb “cringe,” “crunged,” is often used to describe extreme feelings of awkwardness, as in: “I felt so awkward that I almost cringed.”
As for the word “diving,” it now denotes something very foul-smelling, perhaps because the word evokes the musty air of unventilated underwater spaces. However, it’s often accompanied by a “pinch your nose” gesture, similar to the “diving dance” that became popular on TikTok a few months ago, making this a more likely origin.
What is “Benny Trips”?
Over the past few years, there have been numerous reports of Benadryl overdoses in children . This phenomenon is known as a “benzy trip,” and it occurs when children take too much of this allergy medication, roughly 10 times the recommended dose. Benadryl’s active ingredient is diphenhydramine, and it’s a particularly dangerous drug. Unlike most recreational drugs, hallucinations from Benadryl aren’t fun. They’re called delirium, and taking too much leads to hallucinations that are typically described as terrifying—swarms of spiders, shadow people, whispering voices, and so on. A Benadryl overdose can lead to short-term memory loss, time- and space-displacement, and panic attacks that last for hours or even days. Death from rapid heartbeat is also possible. Here’s how Reddit user Reasonable-County971 described his experience :
I lost access to my memories. I didn’t recognize my mother—I mistook her for a “pretty nurse.” At the beginning of the journey, before you lose yourself, you’re overcome with intense anxiety, far beyond anything I can compare it to. Motor skills are also affected, including loss of bladder control.
Yes, it’s a dangerous drug. And it’s easy to get—just go to CVS. On the other hand, despite the sometimes overly hysterical reports about Benadryl as an “online trend” or challenge, using Benadryl is such a painful and downright unpleasant experience that its use isn’t particularly popular among young people. But if you want to scare yourself, read a few experience reports , watch this YouTube video , and imagine someone you love going through this.
Viral Video of the Week: The Cheezit Girl Who Became a Viral Sensation
This week’s viral video is both metaphorical and hilarious for anyone who follows the evolution of internet sensations. Created by the wonderful @ariisaysso , it tells the story of a fictional “Cheezit girl”: she becomes an internet sensation, quits her job, sells merch, releases a rap single, a remix, warms up nachos, and fades into obscurity—all in about two and a half minutes. We’ve seen this story before with “Hawk Tuah girl,” “Dah Bih Gah kid,” and many other future members of the “remember that thing?” club, and we’ll no doubt see it again soon. Such is the circle of life.