Topline
A strange TikTok trend, where users livestream themselves acting like an “NPC”—or an automated “non-player character” with pre-written dialogue—complete with nonsensical phrases like “ice cream so good” used in response to gifts given by their audience is going viral and confusing the internet, but it’s making some streamers big money.
Creators like Pinkydoll are going viral for their robotic, NPC-like livestreams. (Photo by Dan ... [+] Kitwood/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesKey Facts
During these livestreams, viewers send monetary tips to the creator which appear on the screen as cartoon gifts, like an ice cream cone or a rose, to which the creator reacts in real time.
The creators typically respond with a catchphrase depending on what gift appears on the screen: One of the most viral NPC streamers, Pinkydoll, says “Ice cream so good” when given an ice cream gift, “Gang gang” when given a GG icon and “You got me feeling like a cowgirl” when given a cowboy hat.
These streams have been noted for how rapidly creators react to each gift without breaking character, but when they do, it can go viral: A TikTok video of Pinkydoll, known for her hours-long livestreams, counting down and telling a child to go to bed while on live, has more than 230,000 likes.
The influx of tips for these creators can lead to a big payday: Pinkydoll, who has nearly 500,000 followers, told Vice she spends at least six hours per day on TikTok making NPC content and can make $7,000 a day or more through her livestreams, up significantly from when she would make about $250 per day when she started her livestreams.
Some content creators not originally known for NPC livestreams have joined in on the trend, like social media celebrity Trisha Paytas, who began NPC streams on July 17.
Many reactions to NPC livestreams on social media have pointed out how bizarre, yet fascinating, the trend is: “Feeling my brain reconfigure after I watch this for the 30th time,” one user tweeted with a video of popular NPC streamer Cherry Crush.
Much of Pinkydoll’s recent viral attention has been on Twitter, where many users have noted how strange the trend is: “i’ve never been more confused in my entire life dawg…” states one viral tweet, which contains a video of Pinkydoll’s livestream.
Key Background
NPCs, or “non-player characters,” are standard features of many video games. These characters aren’t controlled by the player but may interact with the player through pre-written dialogue to advance the plot. The robotic nature of these characters has drawn comparisons and lent its name to the TikTok NPC trend. Though TikTok NPC livestreams don’t involve sexual content, as this would violate the platform’s community guidelines, gift reaction livestreams have roots in online sex work, Vice reported. Online sex workers have been performing sexual acts in exchange for tips from viewers since the 1990s, Vice reported, and more modern forms of tip-based livestreaming include the platform Twitch, which allows viewers to tip streamers, and rapid-fire reactions on Asian video-focused social media platforms like Bilibili. Though there are men who make these livestreams, many more women have gone viral, and though it is difficult to quantify how many viewers watch these streams for sexually driven reasons, “it’s hard not to see that these streamers are portraying objectified interactive dolls that do your bidding,” the Washington Post reported.
Contra
Some users have expressed admiration for Pinkydoll and other streamers who perform for hours on end. One Twitter user, in response to a tweet stating Pinkydoll had been streaming for five hours straight, called her work ethic “napoleonic.” Her content has also clearly reached a large, and growing, audience: Pinkydoll told Vice she once got 1 million views on one of her livestreams, which she said energized her to keep making content.
Tangent
Some on social media have made jokes and memes about the trend, admitting the livestreams can be silly while acknowledging the creators are smart for cashing in on such a bankable trend. “Me after finding out Pinkydoll makes $2-4k a live,” one user captioned a TikTok video with 1.4 million likes in which he makes exaggerated robotic movements, emulating the NPC lives. “Me acting like a NPC on live because I made $700 on TikTok live in 3 hours,” another user captioned a video, telling her followers: “MIND YA BUSINESS I’m getting this money.”
Surprising Fact
Record producer and rapper Timbaland was listed as the top supporter of one of Pinkydoll’s NPC livestreams on July 16 for making the most donations. In another livestream, Pinkydoll gave Timbaland a shoutout when he joined her stream. “Timbaland in the building, we going to Pluto, wherever you at. Where you at, Timbaland?” she said. Timbaland shared a video of Pinkydoll giving him a shoutout on Twitter on Monday, writing in the caption: “YES yes YES,” emulating one of her NPC phrases.
Further Reading
Viral TikTok NPC Streamer Pinkydoll Doesn't Care What You Think (Vice)
Why TikTokers are pretending to be robots and saying ‘ice cream so good’ (Washington Post)
Why TikTok Sensation PinkyDoll Is Freaking Everyone Out (The Daily Beast)
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