The Brief: Some Straight TikTokers have been creating controversial POV videos where they roleplay as fathers talking to their children, calling themselves "daddy" and making sexual references about him and "mommy."

Bluesquiggle
DEEP DIVE

Update: As of 7/17/20, several TikTokers who participated in the “Daddy POV” TikTok trend deleted the videos and issued apologies. Information in this piece has been updated to reflect these changes. 

Boyfriend POV TikTok videos have been taken to the next level as creators film themselves talking to the camera as if it were their child and making allusions to “mommy and daddy” engaging in sexual activities. These videos are often known as “daddy” or “family” POV TikTok videos and have been labeled as creepy by many viewers. The top videos in this trend have received millions of likes and views.

https://www.tiktok.com/@najya87/video/6846821507491056902

The most popular video format in the daddy POV TikTok trend is set to the song “Dissolve” by Absofacto. In these videos, creators typically act out conversations with their fictional young children, treating the camera as if it were their child. Some videos recreate conversations between “mommy and daddy,” and allude to the parents having sex. TikToker @thejaredjones_ has been credited with creating this trend.

The intended audience of these videos seems to be young women who would imagine themselves as the “mommy” in these scenarios. One series of YouTube compilations is called “family tiktok POVS that gaved me baby fever 👶🏽,” suggesting that at least some viewers are watching these videos as a form of future family fantasy.

The comments sections of these videos included a mix of compliments, praise, suggestive comments, and criticisms that the videos are inappropriate. Some commenters seemed to be confused by the sexual innuendo in the videos, asking what allusions to “wrestling” or “screaming” were about.

@oscariannone

#pov our daughter is convinced you want to die (ig: oscarwinterr)

♬ original sound – sunrisemusic

The widespread popularity of these videos has been met with criticism as many people label the trend as creepy because videos include sexual references and roleplay directed towards fictional young children. Absofacto, the creator of the song posted a video on TikTok asking fans to make a new trend with the song as he found the family POV trend to be “weird and gross” and a form of “daddy playacting.”

@absofacto

my song has been taken over by a gross daddy pov trend, somebody good at tiktok please rescue it, use it for something else, anything ffs #dissolve

♬ original sound – sunrisemusic

After these videos, especially ones which included sexually explicit references, were met with backlash, many creators who had participated in this trend removed their videos from the app or set them to private. TikToker @goverboe posted a video apologizing for his POV videos with sexual references where he was roleplaying as if he were talking to a child. He apologized specifically to survivors of child sexual abuse for how his videos may have been triggering. In the video, he mentioned that people online had responded with bullying and threats against him and his mother.

@goverboe

hate comes from a place where love is not found. so spread love. <3

♬ original sound – goverboe

In addition to being met with critique, Daddy/Mommy POV videos are being parodied by other creators via duets and spoofs.

@corsonn

#duet with @goverboe that water bottle was just SEALED shut #foryoupage #fyp #FurnitureFlip #waterbottle #daddy

♬ original sound – sunrisemusic

@jmvaldes94

my addition to @t0biss’s brilliant response to this trend

♬ original sound – sunrisemusic

@averytheealien

if yk, yk. #fyp

♬ original sound – sunrisemusic

@luv2nate

#duet with @themasonhilton POV you caught up to your parents and there lies

♬ original sound – sunrisemusic