Horace Filter

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About

Horace Filter or Horace Effect refers to a creative filter on TikTok and Instagram that adds a 3D animated dancing humanoid character named Horace over the camera. The character was created by artist JQ Gray in 2019 and began as an Instagram filter, which was removed from the platform as Horace appeared nude in it. The Horace filter was allowed back on Instagram after Gray added pajamas to him. The filter went viral on TikTok in June 2022.

Origin

Horace is a humanoid character with strange bodily proportions created by artist JQ Gray. The first image of Horace was posted to JQ Gray's Instagram^[1] page on October 31st, 2019, and shows him naked standing in a room at various angles. Horace became one of Gray's most popular characters over the following years, inspiring Gray to make an Instagram filter that adds a dancing Horace over the camera. On May 4th, 2020, Gray posted a video to Instagram^[2] showcasing the filter, where Horace dances on a bed, gaining over 1,600 views in two years (shown below). The filter became notably popular. In the post's caption, Gray explains that the filter was removed after being deemed "pornographic."

Garage^[3] published an article about Horace's removal and re-addition to the platform on July 31st, 2020. The article discusses how Gray edited the filter to add cashmere footie pajamas to Horace.

Spread

TikTok Filter

On April 15th, 2022, JQ Gray posted his first video to his TikTok^[4] account @jqgray, announcing the addition of the Horace filter to the platform (shown below, left). He posted another video to TikTok^[5] that day showcasing the filter, gaining over 190,000 views in two months (shown below, right).

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7086954638192201003

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7086970054620777770

In June 2022, the filter became increasingly popular as TikTokers used it to make skits and dance alongside Horace. On June 22nd, TikToker^[6] @carolyn.st posted a video using Horace as a self deprecating representation of herself, gaining over 2 million views in three days (shown below). On that day, Dexerto^[9] published an article on the filter.

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7111743483601308970

On June 23rd, TikTokers^[7]^[8] @aidettecancino and @jakefresca posted videos using the filter, gaining over 184,000 views and 764,000 views respectively in two days (shown below, left and right).