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The Viral ‘I’m So Hungry I Could Eat’ Trend, Explained

We’ve all heard of the phrase “I’m so hungry I could eat a…” It’s usually followed by something like “horse,” or some other over-the-top exaggeration. It’s a way to express just how ravenous someone is in a humorous way, without it being taken literally. Usually, people don’t say that they’re so hungry they could eat a person. But in a new viral TikTok trend, people are jokingly telling their friends and family that they are hungry enough to eat a person, and the reactions are hilarious. Confused? Here’s what the prank trend is.

What is the “I’m so hungry I could eat…” trend?

In the TikTok trend, the person recording starts the video by saying “I’m so hungry I could eat…” and then finishes the sentence with the name of a person, typically someone obscure that the other person wouldn’t know that they know. The other person is usually shocked, confused, and slightly disgusted. The reactions are what really makes the videos pure comedy. The thing that makes the prank so jarring to whoever is the victim is not only that the prank puller wants to eat a person, but that the person they named is someone so random that only they would know (think your childhood neighbor’s cousin or elementary school librarian).

How are people doing the trend?

People are using the trend to prank their friends, significant others, and parents. After a simple scroll on Facebook or Instagram, people are finding random names to say to the victims of their pranks, whether it’s from their friend list, tagged photos, or even high school yearbooks. 

For example, TikTok user Mandy Belle told her friend Alyssa that she was so hungry, she could eat a girl from her high school golf team. Alyssa was left confused and shocked how Mandy would even know that girl. She asked Mandy if she had met her, still in shock that Mandy even knew her name, let alone that she would say she was hungry enough to eat her.

People are doing the trend to their parents too, and it’s even funnier to see their confused faces. TikTok user Michala Mcirvin told her parents she was so hungry that she could eat a random person that they’re friends with on Facebook. Her dad was appalled, to say the least. Viewers, on the other hand, thought the TikTok was hysterical. One user commented “The fear in your fathers eyes 😭.”

@micahalexandraaa

#imsohungrychallenge omfg I feel terrible 😭😭😭😭😭 #fyp

♬ original sound – Micah

The further people take it, the funnier the reactions are. TikToker Micah Alexandra told her mom she was so hungry that she could eat her deceased childhood dog. Her mom’s jaw literally dropped, and she couldn’t believe what her daughter was saying. She definitely found it more horrifying than funny. I hope this trend never dies, because I can’t get enough of the reactions to these ridiculous phrases. 

Amanda Brucculeri is the fall editorial intern for Spoon University, where she covers food news and emerging trends.

Beyond Spoon University, Amanda works as the podcast editor for Boston University News Service, where she oversees a team of reporters covering news through audio. She also writes for the city column of The Buzz Magazine, and is the host of a true crime radio show on WTBU student radio. She is currently a junior at Boston University, majoring in journalism with a minor in public relations.

In her free time, she enjoys curating playlists, trying new restaurants, and watching movies.