Today's video-focussed social media platforms are designed to almost intuit your thoughts and behaviors. TikTok feeds show you food videos around lunchtime, just as your Instagram Reels may randomly present a long-lost friend. However, these algorithms are not immutable, and the one odd random video can easily get shuffled into your daily dose of brainrot.

Of late, people have been referring to these obscure, initially low view count videos as "mythical" pulls. Here's a look at where the trend originated and what some mythical reel pulls look like.

Where Did The 'Mythical Pull' Trend Originate?

Jokes about certain videos being "mythical pulls," as if one were hunting for a lucky draw in a stack of cards, began in April 2024, but exasperation at the comment trend had already reached critical heights toward the end of that month.

@theoirl

♬ Fill In The Blank – Car Seat Headrest

A common complaint appeared to be how quickly overused the phrase had become; after all, not every bizarre TikTok or Reel can be a "mythical" reel pull.

How Did The Mythical Reel Pull Trend Spread?

By May 2024, internet users had begun devising variations on the mythical FYP pull rule. TikToker @lifeaccordingtoeli made one such post, joking about what it feels like to be scrolling and come across a "mystical triple zero pull" which refers to a video with zero likes, zero hashtags and no followers. The obscurity of such an account combined with the unlikeliness of ever encountering it contributed to its "mythical" value.

@lifeaccordingtoeli insane fyp pull #real #relatable #funny #irony #brainrot ♬ hahah do it jiggle – optane

How Did The Mythical Pull Trend Go Viral?

The trend was largely popularised in the mainstream thanks to the Late Night Finds trend on TikTok, as seen in a comment left on TikToker @him42625's May 2024 video.




Also in May, Instagram user @yocrizp made a carousel post in reference to the meme trend, comparing people who comment the phrase "mythical pull" to robots or NPCs.

What Are Some More Videos About 'Mythical FYP Pulls'?

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7362791358865755435

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7361640574580985130

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For the full history of the "mythical reel pull" meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.