Who Is Duffy?

About

Who Is Duffy? refers to a question Nardwuar asked musician Grimes in a 2012 interview to which she responded, "Duffy is my muse and he also runs the cult that I'm in." Originally posted to YouTube, the clip went viral on TikTok in early 2024, resulting in its usage as a sound and audio. TikTokers who used the "Who Is Duffy?" sound posed humorous situations about a person or character in their life or past who they worship similar to Grimes' description of Duffy.

Origin

On March 27th, 2012, NardwuarServiette posted a video to YouTube^[1] that was his interview with musician Grimes, gaining over 1.8 million views in 12 years. At the video's 9:11-minute mark (shown below), Nardwuar asks Grimes, "Who is Duffy?" to which she responds, "Duffy is my muse and he also runs the cult that I'm in."

Years later, on January 12th, 2024, TikToker^[2] @grimescb posted the clip of Nardwuar asking Grimes, "Who is Duffy?" receiving over 9 million plays and 554,200 likes in two weeks (shown below, left).

In turn, the video created a viral TikTok sound^[3] that was used by others on the platform. Currently, TikToker^[4] @choppachav is the first known creator to use the sound for a memetic purpose. Her video, uploaded on January 16th, 2024, included text reading, "me trying to explain my little sister to others," gaining over 2.5 million plays and 386,900 likes in 10 days (shown below, right).

Spread

Going in January 2024, multiple viral videos were posted using the "Who Is Duffy?" TikTok sound.^[3] For instance, on January 22nd, 2024, TikToker^[5] @biggglizzie posted a video with text reading, "when someone asks about my cat," gaining over 7 million plays and 1 million likes in four days (shown below, left).

On January 24th, 2024, TikToker^[6] @teigans..backup posted a video with the sound, including text that read, "when someone mentions that random kid that has no clue we worship him," receiving over 1.3 million likes in two days (shown below, right).

During the same timeframe, notable influencers and celebrities joined the trend, such as Charli D'Amelio on January 25th, 2024, whose TikTok^[7] made a joke about her older sister, gaining roughly 3.5 million plays and 512,100 likes in a day (shown below).

By January 26th, 2024, the trend's primary TikTok sound^[3] had amassed over 29,600 posts using it.

Various Examples

Search Interest

Unavailable.

External References