The Brief: #DontLeaveMeChallenge videos are marked by TikTokers posing punny questions to a group of friends before running away. Their friends usually cheer them on, yelling, "Don't leave me. Take me with you."
DEEP DIVE
Updated 6/19/2020, 5:23pm: Updated to credit the creator @Josh2funny. Original video posted on Instagram on March 24.
TikTokers are enjoying wordplay games with their friends before running away as part of the #DontLeaveMeChallenge. Their friends typically run after them, playfully yelling, “Take me with you, don’t leave me.” These videos began growing in popularity on TikTok around June 14, after the trend appeared on TikTok when @Ballermac uploaded a video. The trend, however, was created by comedian Josh2funny and was shared on his Instagram account on March 24. In the video, he stands on a leaf and tells the person recording, “Can’t you see I’m on leave?” He en tells the cameraman to go live life, to which he responds, “Wait for me. Don’t leave me!”
The video captioned, “Leave me alone @bellokreb #dontleaveme 😂😂😂😂😂 #dontleavemechallenge” was viewed over 146,000 times.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-HNbJ-nUyK/
Currently, the associated hashtags #DontLeaveMeChallenge, #DontLeaveMe, and #TakeMeWithYou have amassed 45.2 million, 59.9 million, and 6.7 million views, respectively on TikTok.
On June 3, @Ballermac uploaded a video of himself posing a few punny questions to his friends, saying, “I take my shoe, I put ’em on the curb, it’s balanced. Balenciaga.” His friends enthusiastically cheer as he runs away. A friend who appears to be holding the camera, chases after him, yelling, “Whoa! Don’t leave me. Take me with you.” The creator, then poses another question with a designer punchline and his friend reacts with the same response, “Don’t leave me. Take me with you.” The video was viewed over 1.7 millions times and received over 283,000 likes.
@ballermac If u don’t laugh ur clinically unwell #fypシ #fun #comedy #laugh #original #memes
Soon, similar videos began emerging under the hashtags #DontLeaveMeChallenge, #DontLeaveMe, and #TakeMeWithYou.
There’s also an official TikTok page linked to the hashtag #DontLeaveMeChallenge which seems to signify the hashtag is trending and could land on the “Discover Page.”
Creator @fw.kd’s video is a popular take on the trend. In her June 15 video, she said, “See this rubber? If I put it on my arm, is it not armed robber?” Her friend followed with, “If I take you, and I put you in a tube, is that not YouTube?” Others proceeded to cheer her on while she ran away. The video was viewed over 946,000 times and received over 320,ooo times.
@fw.kd TINK ABOUR IT🧏🏾♀️😭 #dontleaveme #takemewithyou #fyp
TikToker @mufadzi3’s take on the original went viral, as well. He uploaded his TikTok on June 8, where he posed a question involving a suitcase and a blanket. “It was viewed over 1.6 million times and received over 376,000 likes.
@mufadzi3 I rest my case #fyp #dontleaveme #blm
Here are a few other takes on the wholesome trend:
@playboi_pg Don’t leave me #fyp #fypシ #foryoupage #zxycba #dontleaveme
@firstnamejohnson
@jacobmakgato #dontleaveme challenge part 1 #tiktok #funnyvideos #laughoutloud #fyp #foryoupage