*WARNING: Content may make readers extremely uncomfortable. Viewer discretion is advised.*
Entertainer and comedian Howie Mandel has recently posted some bizarre and questionable TikToks. What’s up with this? Is it to boost his popularity, promote a new project, or something else?
Howie Mandel, a comedian known for his role on TV shows like “Deal or No Deal” and “America’s Got Talent,” has a strong presence in pop culture. Yet, this presence might be taking a turn online with the media that Mandel has been posting on TikTok. Whether it is anatomy, food, or deep-faking his face on an overtly sexual advertisement, Mandel has been making waves in the TikTok community. It is important to note, however, that these aren’t necessarily positive waves. TikTok is continuously horrified and confused by the cursed content that Mandel is putting on his TikTok, which only leads to the question: why is Mandel posting this? Is Mandel posting these TikToks to gain traction, to promote a new project, or something else?
The ‘July 9th Incident’
Howie Mandel’s cursed TikToks began on July 9th, when Mandel posted a photo of a prolapsed rectum on his TikTok with a voiceover stating, “When my friend Neil bent over, this happened. Does somebody know — is this COVID related? And, if it is, what do we do about it? Ow.” Mandel later deleted the TikTok, but others reposted it on Twitter and Youtube. This video is consistently referred to in the comments section of Mandel’s other TikToks. In these comments, people state the date of the original TikTok (July 9th) and that they will ‘never forget’ it. Howie’s TikTok’s past this date has not improved.
Howie Mandel’s Cursed TikTok Era
While Mandel’s TikToks increased in bizarreness, only a few caught onto TikTok’s algorithms and spread to a large audience. For example, a deepfake TikTok that Mandel posted on July 30th. The TikTok features Mandel’s face deepfaked onto a human-motor-bike-hybrid, in which he is both sensually washed and falls in love with a human-jet-ski-hybrid woman. This occurs while Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license” plays in the background. The TikTok amassed 17.3 million views, 1.6 million likes, and 38.6 thousand comments. This made many people who viewed it through the algorithm on their ‘For You’ pages extremely uncomfortable. Many of the top comments on this post express concerns about what this behavior from Howie Mandel means.
Sadly, the TikToks that Mandel posts haven’t gotten much better, despite the attention they have been getting. Another TikTok that Mandel posted on July 31st displays this. In this TikTok, Mandel pours soft-serve ice cream straight from the machine in an ice cream shop onto his bald head as “Love Songs” by Kaash Paige plays. Again, this TikTok went viral: it received 7.6 million views, 964.4 thousand likes, and 36.3 thousand comments. Also, again, it received backlash in its comment section. With such criticism and disgust at these TikToks, why is Howie Mandel posting them?
The Reasoning Behind The Madness
While some might believe these bizarre posts are senseless, it’s essential to look at the intentions of posts online. While they could be pointless, there are two important concepts to think about: promotion and traction. When it comes to promotion, Howie Mandel could be making these TikToks to gain the attention of a broader audience to be able to promote a new project. The bizarre will lure viewers in to see more and, when they least expect it, Mandel will pull out an advertisement for a new project.
As for traction, Mandel’s weirdness produces views. His videos on TikTok have only spiked in views around the time of July 9th and around his new, weird posts. The bizarre posts he’s making are causing more people to watch. He’s gaining more traction, and looking weird is a sacrifice he is willing to make for this popularity. What are Mandel’s true intentions? We can’t be sure. However, my best guess would be that this behavior online is for views. After all, what is a celebrity without eyes on them?
