TikTok, Apple’s most downloaded app, used to make and share short videos for fun. Sometimes, videos got famous because of obvious reasons, any hilarious video, dance videos, or a simple hack easy to copy in someone’s home. It is the result of this, if you have come across a Step Chickens comment or close-up selfie of a woman with a blue filter on the profile of a large group.
The people on Tik Tok have been forming ‘cults’ for months but these are not fatal as the name suggests. These are some people following a single person just for some fun. Now, many of us have already been in a dilemma about this unnatural trend. The answer is here.
Step Chickens is a Tik Tok Cult
Tik Tok has already been a powerhouse and almost made the quarantine period a little bearable. With a load of small videos, a person can be captivated by a never-ending scrolling. Tik Tok videos can already be seen having thousands of videos on different platforms. According to the New York Times, “TikTok users have been forming cults (of personality) and armies (the nonviolent kind) for months now.”
These groups are not sinister and usually follow a specific creator. These cults are just a way to connect with people and mobilize towards a goal. In May of 2020, Chicken Cult became the largest Tik Tok cult on the app. The leader, Melissa Ong, also known as Mother hen, is a content creator and has asked the followers to change their profile picture with her own and the cult had been established.
Step Chickens started infiltrating the comment section of some famous personalities and asked them to join the cult by changing their profile. Houston Rockets, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Kansa City Chiefs, Bob Segget’s wife, Kelly Rizzo, and publications such as The Washington Post and Adweek were their victims. Step Chickens have even convinced Phil Swift, creator of Flex Tape, to join the cult.
Members have even suggested making an app for the meeting of the members. According to the Times article, Ms. Ong quoted, “I was like, that would be hilarious if my TikTok cult had its own app.” Now, the cult has its app, merch, and even a song. If they would continue expanding their territories, then you would be able to see them on different apps like YouTube and Instagram. Your choice is that one can continue to ignore them or go ahead and join.
For now, Tik Tok cults are not concerning. It is likely that many teenagers are bored at home right now and flooding the comment section of a famous personality or pledging their allegiance to Mother Hen.
Introduction to Melissa Ong
A 27-year old girl, Melissa Ong, had become famous after one of her videos became famous and currently, she is a leader of the cult, Step Chickens. The video involves a pornographic parody of a stepbrother trying to seduce his stepsister. She has played both roles wearing a chicken suit and uploaded the video on her Tik Tok account, @chunkysdead. Also known as Mother Hen, Melissa continued gaining more followers and as a cult leader offered the followers to get indulged in a large-scale prank.
She has asked the followers to tag a random account on a video featuring goats and even asked them to persuade her friend to recreate a scene from Shrek and the followers had bombarded him. Her ultimate goal is to set her comedy show and she has recently signed a contract with a management company for a show on HBO or Netflix, like Nathan Fielder, host of “Nathan for You”. According to her followers, Mother Hen and her videos made them feel less isolated.
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