The glass half full or half empty, a philosophical debate that determines if you are a pessimist or an optimist, is a centuries-old argument. And now the dilemma has come to TikTok, but not in the way you think.. Creators have taken this question even further, asking more than just ‘is the glass half full or half empty?’ but what would your mom, or a waiter on a slow night at work, or Trisha Paytas say to that question? Would they be optimists, pessimists, or simply themselves?
What is the glass half empty trend?
TikTok user @chazleeroze, who originated this trend, posted a video sitting at a table with a half poured cup of water in front of her. She starts out simply. The words “pessimist” appear on the screen in white text, and @chazleeroze says “the glass is half empty.” She does the same for “optimist” and says, “I like to think the glass is half full.”
But then, it becomes a hilarious commentary on people you encounter in day-to-day life. She takes on different characters, and imagines how they would react to this question. Using actions, accents, and one-liners, she creates responses that align with each person she depicts. She puts on a pair of glasses as the text on screen reads “your mom,” and says in a New York accent, “What is this?” When the text reads “guy who is thirsty,” she chugs the water. She uses the character prompts to create humorous depictions of different stereotypes of people. The post racked up likes (almost one million) faster than you can even answer the glass question yourself, and the comments had a field day with adding in their own ideas.
What pop culture moments have been recreated?
The original TikTok inspired many other creators to recreate this style of video, this time adding more and more layers of comedy. Some of the best characters and celebrities that have been included in this trend are Angelica Schuyler saying “a toast to the room,” Katy Perry’s riff in “Wide Awake,” Holly Wheeler saying “It’s half empty, you have to believe me,” and Jennifer Coolidge saying “Oh, this glass is darling.”
TikTok user @ronnie.ellen did a hilarious version of this trend. With a glass of water in front, she stands behind and does the infamous Trisha Paytas “Huh? What? Oh, huh. Okay.” She also includes other pop culture moments like Danielle Cohn dancing, Madison Beer getting caught singing, and Fish Girl’s “Nina” and “I know I’m gonna be out just vote.” Commenters loved this version, claiming that she had “crazy pulls” and brought back the feelings of Youtube Rewind.
Whether you’re a pessimist or an optimist or a reenactment of Bad Bunny’s Superbowl Halftime show while he sings into the glass, this trend really makes you laugh and wonder who’s impersonation is coming next. Even through all of the comedy, I can’t be the only one wondering if the glass is actually half empty or half full. Maybe I’ll have to ask Harry Styles.