About

The Family Guy Pipeline Incident is a "related search" algorithm glitch on TikTok started by Family Guy clip accounts that used oddly satisfying videos of a metal pipe being filled with cigarettes and carrots, purportedly to avoid copyright strikes. Due to both visuals of the Family Guy clip and the pipeline video in one TikTok video, the algorithm recommended the search query "family guy pipeline incident" in the comment section. This started in mid-November 2022 and garnered interest as to what the algorithm-invented "incident" was.

The "Family Guy Pipeline Incident" then became associated with a trend called Family Guy Jumpscares, referring to a phenomenon on TikTok when parody Family Guy clip channels added random jumpscares of creepy imagery into the seemingly innocent videos to catch the viewer off guard. The bait-and-switch media trend became prominent in late 2022 and ultimately made fun of the secondary "ADHD video" underneath most Family Guy clips, often showing mobile app gameplay or ASMR adjacent content, identified as overstimulation content.

Origin

Family Guy Pipeline Incident

Starting in mid-November 2022, Family Guy clip channels on TikTok started using an oddly satisfying series of videos showing a man putting cigarettes and carrots, among other objects, into a metal pipe, cutting them to match the pipe's shape and then gluing them to repair it. The three most prominent Family Guy accounts that followed the "pipe" format were TikToker^[1] likeabin, TikToker^[2] daerthegay and TikToker^[3] satissatuo. For instance, on November 9th, 2022, the TikTok^[4] account satissatuo posted its first "pipe" video, earning roughly 26,300 plays and 1,800 likes in one month (shown below).

On November 15th, 2022, a TikTok^[5] uploaded by satissatuo and another TikTok^[6] uploaded by daerthegay both used Family Guy and "pipe" videos. At the top of the comment sections for both read a blue, "related search" query reading, "family guy pipeline incident" (screenshots shown below).

The recommended search "family guy pipeline incident" was due to the dual visuals in the videos of the "pipe" video and the Family Guy clip. As the search started to be recommended in mid-November 2022, TikTokers started making content about it, wondering what it meant and what the "incident" was. On November 21st, 2022, TikToker^[7] komipat posted the first known video to reference the search, gaining roughly 147,800 plays and 2,600 likes in two weeks (shown below).

Family Guy Clip Jumpscares

On November 20th, 2022, TikToker^[8] popperball9 posted a Family Guy clip video that overlayed and inserted multiple shitpost style videos as a way of avoiding copyright claims in a meta manner. Over the course of 22 days, the video received roughly 3.9 million plays and 458,800 likes (shown below, left). Most likely inspired by the concept, on December 2nd, 2022, TikToker^[9] toasterbreaddddddddd posted the first known Family Guy jumpscare video, earning roughly 42,700 plays and 1,300 likes in three days (shown below, right).

Spread

On December 3rd, 2022, TikToker^[10] family._clips posted a Family Guy clip TikTok that inserted subliminal messaging about "George Bush Did 9/11," gaining roughly 21,900 plays and 1,300 likes in two days (shown below, left). On December 4th, 2022, TikToker^[11] familyclipsguys posted a more egregious jumpscare featuring Jeff the Killer, earning roughly 3,800 likes in one day (shown below, right).

Various Examples

Search Interest

Unavailable.

External References