POV: You're Getting Arrested
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About
POV: You're Getting Arrested refers to a POV thirst trap trend on TikTok in which a user, typically male, pretends they're getting arrested by having someone press them up against a wall, then turn their head to look into the camera and smile, meant to highlight their "bad boy" attractiveness. The trend became popular in August 2021, as well as the subject of mockery for being cringeworthy, inspiring parodies of the trend.
Origin
On August 13th, 2021, TikToker[1] @gage.bills posted a POV video roleplaying as JJ from Outer Banks captioned "jj turns himself in #obx" in which he walks down a hallway in a wifebeater as red and blue lights flash in the room ahead of him. He then looks at the camera teary-eyed and turns to get arrested (shown below). The video gained over 6.2 million views in just under three weeks.
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6996031754939206917
On August 16th, @gage.bills posted another Outer Banks themed POV arrest video to TikTok,[2] this time captioned "#pov jj gets arrested #obx" in which he's slammed against a wall while blue and red lights flash around him, then he looks into the camera with tears in his eyes and a smile (shown below). The video gained over 20 million views in two weeks (shown below).
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6997107642355207429
Spread
The trend spread over the course of the month, inspiring a number of other TikTokers to post similar thirst trap videos using the sound. For example, on August 18th, TikToker[3] @ricklimatv posted a POV arrested video, gaining over 47 million views in two weeks (shown below, left). On August 19th, TikToker[4] @alencarblz posted a similar video, gaining over 6.5 million views in roughly the same span of time (shown below, right).
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6997947259748977925
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6998269558045838597
The trend soon became the subject of criticism and parody in videos where TikTokers ironically mimic the style. On August 20th, TikToker[5] @willuzi posted a video where he turns into a werewolf while being arrested, gaining over 11.9 million views in roughly two weeks (shown below).
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6998599485525937413
On August 25th, TikToker[6] @brodywellmaker posted a skit in his "Raising a TikToker" series about finding your child making a "POV arrested" video, gaining over 23.7 million views in six days (shown below).
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7000076305404333317
On August 27th, TikToker[7] @rainbowphill posted a video mocking the trend, gaining over 4.2 million views in four days (shown below). On August 31st, Dexerto[8] published an article on the trend.
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7000837853861137670
Various Examples
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6999625053566422278
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7000479612249705734
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7001302910860545285
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7000628298338274566
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6999783632596503814
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6998199341420776710
Search Interest
External References
[1] TikTok – jj turns himself in #obx
[2] TikTok – jj gets arrested
[3] TikTok – ricklimatv
[4] TikTok – alencarblz
[6] TikTok – brodywellmaker
[7] TikTok – rainbowphil
[8] Dexerto – TikTok trend of being fake arrested criticized for bizarre viral videos
Related Entries 16 total
Recent Videos 4 total
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