Ivy League #CafeteriaTok, Susi's Pesto Stitches, & TikTok's "Finest Lobsterman"

Welcome back to HotToks. This edition we report on Ivy League #CafeteriaTok, Susi's pesto recipe stitches, and TikTok's "Finest Lobsterman."

This Time on Niche TikTok: Ivy League #CafeteriaTok

Count on TikTok to show you the world's most niche things, and you may surprise yourself with what videos pique your interest. Today, we’re talking about Ivy League cafeteria food…no, because why does the food actually look so fire??? It’s like one-upping the typical “what I eat in a day” trend.

Most of us don’t know what it’s like within the walls of an Ivy League cafeteria, which makes these TikToks so interesting to so many. We’re talking about all-you-can-eat brunches, scrambled eggs, salmon bagels, things you’d find at Sarabeth’s in New York. i-D is saying that although, for the most part, these videos are harmless fun, it’s “all starting to feel like just another way for people to showcase their status for social currency,” sparking thoughts of whether these students are creating these videos to seek external validation that comes with going to a prestigious Ivy League institution.

On the platform, #harvardfood has almost 21M views, and #yalefood has over 11M views, so it’s clear that these videos are picking up steam. Seriously, there’s a nook on the internet for just about anything in this world.

What Actually is Susi’s Pesto Recipe?

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Speaking of niche TikToks, I can’t get by without discussing these Susi pesto stitches. 

Here’s the skinny if you’re unaware: a TikToker named Susi Vidal posted a video sharing her homemade pesto recipe, starting with the line, “Call me crazy if you want, but I’ve never liked store-bought pesto.” This video now has over 17M views and thousands of stitches, where people are sharing some of the craziest stories, poking fun at Susi, who thought not liking store-bought pesto was crazy.

Let me tell you, these stories are wild. #Susistitch has over 73M views on the platform from people worldwide sharing their craziest stories. Many viewers comment, “this is why I never skip a Susi stitch.” Some of these videos go on for 5-10 minutes, and people are watching all the way through, which is a pretty big feat. People are sharing near-death experiences, unhinged dating and relationship stories, unbelievable family stories, and so much more.

This is one of my favorite trends, and it’s one of the most interactive trends I’ve seen on TikTok—so many viewers are prompting creators to provide more info and create more videos sharing more of their stories. This is a rabbit hole I’ll gladly fall into, TBH.

Creator Spotlight: TikTok’s “Finest Lobsterman”

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I am the first to admit that I live and thrive in TikTok's “catch and cook” lobster and seafood fishing niche. Keep serving those to me; thank you, algorithm. Jacob Knowles, the warmest commercial fisherman known to the platform, is one of my favorite creators in this genre.

Over the past two years, the world’s gentlest commercial fisherman has grown his following by so much. He now has 2.5M followers on TikTok, showing off his catches of the day, educating on fishing lobsters, and even removing barnacles from our sea friends (how cute). The fact that he’s popping absolutely off on the platform shows how different niches of content can thrive on the platform; TikTok has a home for everything. These videos are about as far from a GRWM video as possible. He can provide a view and POV that’s not typically seen, and it’s so refreshing to see.

Here’s a wholesome video of him feeding fish to lobsters he catches and talking to them. Seriously, protect him at all costs.

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Thanks for reading!

Viv

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