About

What Kind of X is This? refers to a series of TikTok videos in which a male, AI-generated voice asks a question, using the aforementioned snowclone, about identifying the breed or species of an animal or plant. A second voice responds and identifies it, using the phrasal template, "This is a X." Popular iterations include "What Kind of Awesome is This?" "What Kind of Fruit is This?" and "What Kind of Monkey is This?" among others about pigs, cows and dogs. The videos were posted to TikTok in June 2025, by the account Popular science (@masochist09). The videos were based on and sometimes directly translated from videos posted on Chinese social media platforms like BiliBili. Other TikTokers began riffing on the format by either using the TikTok sounds or generating new versions, using the same AI voices and replacing the "X" in the snowclone with a noun of their choice. Some TikTokers engaging with the meme joked about being a part of TikTok's "niche community" in the comment sections and captions added to reposts.

Origin

In May 2025, multiple users on the Chinese video platform BiliBili began sharing videos in which two voices speak back and forth, with the first voice asking about the breed or species of an animal or plant, or the name of an object, and the second voice responding with the answer.

For instance, BiliBili^[1] user 小左万物 shared multiple videos following the format in May 2025, like one video posted to BiliBili^[2] on May 16th, about 15 species of pigs, which received over 18,000 likes in a month (shown below).

On June 6th, 2025, TikToker^[3] @masochist09 posted a video that followed the same format as the abovementioned video but in English. In the video, one voice asks, "What kind of stone is this?" and the other responds with the answer, using the snowclone, "This is a X." Over three weeks, the video received roughly 21,600 likes (shown below).

Spread

TikToker @masochist09 shared multiple videos following the same format heading into June 2025. For instance, on June 9th, @masochist09 shared a TikTok^[4] that focused on the question, "What kind of dog is this?" Over 18 days, the video received over 104,200 likes (shown below).

On June 12th, TikToker^[5] @masochist09 shared a video asking, "What kind of monkey is this?" gaining over 60,400 likes in 15 days (shown below).

On June 23rd, 2025, TikToker^[6] @masochist09 posted a video, asking, "What kind of awesome is this?" which was about different species of cows and bovines. Over four days, the video gained roughly 159,900 likes (shown below).

As the videos went viral, others on the app started to riff on the format in variant memes. For instance, on June 24th, TikToker^[7] @lordoldgen posted a video, using the "What kind of awesome is this?" sound, showing different memes like You Are the Youngest Person Ever and We Used To Throw Glue Sticks at the Ceiling as the answers. Over three days, the video received over 44,600 likes (shown below).

On June 26th, 2025, TikToker^[8] @mrllime posted an iteration about, "What is this blud's name?" listing people like Jam Wayne, Big Groove and The Big Sartorialist, gaining over 113,300 likes in a day (shown below).

On June 26th, TikToker^[9] @ripdiddyblud_67 posted an iteration about, "What kind of mango is this?" referencing the Mango Phonk meme. The TikTok received over 79,900 likes in a day (shown below).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References