Like so many of us, Noodle, a 13-year-old pug with an adorable drooping frown, loves sleeping and hates getting out of bed.
But unlike most of us, Noodle is TikTok’s newest viral obsession.
Every day, Noodle’s owner Jonathan Graziano lifts Noodle up from his bed and sees whether the pug can stand up. If Noodle stands, it’s a “bones day.” If he flops over, well then it’s a “no bones day.”
If you need a bit of translation of what this all means, Graziano is here to help.
“If it’s a bones day, you know you’re going to get out of bed early, you’re going to tackle that project you’ve been putting off. It’s just, I guess, like a little good luck charm,” he explains.
“A no bones day is a day for self-care and is a day to be kind to yourself. You should feel free to lay in bed. If you need to wear your sweats, use the bath bomb that you have, you know, just take care of yourself,” Graziano says.
While it may seem silly, Noodle has struck a chord with millions of TikTok users, many of whom now plan their days according to Noodle’s forecasts.
Graziano says he never intended for Noodle to become the internet’s soothsayer. TikTokers just took to his floppy dog and ran with it.
“I had absolutely nothing to do with the whole fortune-telling aspect of this,” he says. “I just wanted to share these silly videos of this dog that I love very much.”
In the age of social media, Noodle is the “new Punxsutawney Phil,” Graziano says. “He’s become the people’s horoscope.”
He thinks Noodle’s popularity skyrocketed because people are eager for some positivity in a pandemic full of darkness.
“I think it all just boils down to joy is elusive on the internet and a lot of news sharing is very negative,” he says. “And this is just like a fun, happy thing that I’m so grateful to know that people have latched on to.”
As for how fame has changed Noodle? The wrinkly-faced pup has received a lot more attention on their walks, Graziano says.
“I’ve noticed that the more people that walk by him and don’t pat him, the more hostile he becomes toward them,” he says. “So I don’t know if fame has changed him — but he certainly has recognized that he’s entitled to a lot more pets from a lot more people.”
And luckily, Noodle gave us what we needed this dreary Monday: It’s a bones day!
Click here and here for the TikToks we featured in this segment.
Kalyani Saxena produced and edited this interview for broadcast with Tinku Ray. Saxena also adapted it for the web.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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