Ever wondered what it’s like to be a TikTok star? Future Canoe, aka @futurecanoe82, has amassed 2.4 million followers and 44.3 million likes on TikTok. His hilarious, sarcasm-filled videos chronicle his realistic attempts to recreate recipes from internet influencers. He also shares vlog-style, brutally honest reviews of trendy restaurants.
The food content is incredible, but Future’s slightly dirty, very dry sense of humor is the real draw. I don’t often laugh out loud, but I found myself cracking up multiple times while going down the highly addictive rabbit hole of Future Canoe’s feed. Impressively, the self-proclaimed “NPC in NYC” has managed to remain anonymous since starting his account in January 2023. Spoon chatted with Future Canoe about the inspiration behind his account, the pros and cons of remaining anonymous, his favorite influencer recipe, and more.
Spoon University: What inspired you to create your account?
Future Canoe: My favorite activity is watching cooking videos in bed. I was doing that A LOT in the early months of 2023 because I just graduated college, and it seemed like every employer in NYC was reluctant to hire me. With all that free time, I started cooking everyday following instructions from influencers online. I would often make silly jokes to myself and my roommate to make the cooking process a little less boring. I made a new recipe every single day and shared the process on my TikTok account. After a few weeks, I finally got a job, and I came back from my first day of work to one million notifications. I thought it was just a one-time thing so I didn’t think too much of it, still kept posting everyday. Surprisingly, every video after that went viral, and I got 100k followers in six days. Nothing in my life has changed so far, I’m happy with how things are right now, and I hope I can make content just for fun for as long as possible.
SU: Why do you choose to remain anonymous?
FC: I have a day job where I have to be client-facing on a daily basis, so I prefer to stay faceless until I decide to change my video format.
SU: Are there any unique challenges that come with running such a popular account anonymously?
FC: The biggest challenge is that at the moment, I can’t meet my followers and make personal connections with everybody. Although I plan on making it happen soon! Also, it’s hard to collaborate with other influencers and make vlog-style content. I have so many fun video ideas but a lot of them require the footage to be in third-person perspective.
SU: What are the benefits of remaining anonymous?
FC: I can leave the house in pajamas and pick my nose on the subway without being judged too harshly.
SU: Has anyone ever figured out your identity?
FC: I’ve been keeping my social media presence a secret from family and friends, but a few of them recognized my voice. But overall you can count the people who know my real identity with one hand.
SU: What is your favorite part of being a food creator?
FC: My favorite part is getting to try all these awesome recipes from different creators from diverse cultures. My least favorite part is watching myself mess them up.
SU: Do you have a favorite recipe you’ve tried?
FC: I made oyster sauce from scratch (recipe by Souped Up Recipes) a while ago and was blown away by how good it was. Although my apartment did smell like fish for a whole week.
SU: How did you choose your username? Does it have any special significance to you?
FC: It’s a mystery for my followers to figure out. There have been a lot of great guesses but no one has gotten it right yet, the person that gets it right would receive a great surprise.
SU: You cover your face with an image of a San Marzano tomato can in order to maintain anonymity. Why San Marzano tomatoes? Is this a reference to a certain very popular TV show that recently released its second season?
FC: What’s a San Marzano can?