This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s summer editorial intern Jordyn Centerwall. Find her on Instagram at @jordyncenterwall. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Wicked has taken over social media in the tail end of 2024. From Halloween costumes to Barbie dolls, pink and green have been at the forefront. One of my relatives even made their Christmas card Wicked-themed this year. I loved the Wicked movie (minus the fact that we have to wait until next year for part two). I’ve also loved the jokes that have come after. From people thirsting over Jonathan Bailey’s character, Prince Fiyero, to people trying (and failing) to sing the final belt of Defying Gravity, it’s had its moment on the internet. And it’s not over yet. The latest Wicked trend, the me and Boq trend, comes from a place of loathing. What is this trend and why do people hate this character so much? Read on to find out.
What Is The Trend?
The me and boq trend is multifaceted on TikTok. Largely it features people singing along or lipsynching to a section of Nessa Rose’s part in “Dancing Through Life” The specific part features a line saying “me and Boq” with a heavy emphasis on the Boq part. Some creators have sung along solo, while others have had “Boq-offs” where they each do their own impression of the line.
Why do people hate the character so much? Some dislike how he is essentially leading Nessa along in hopes of winning Glinda’s attention. Others seem to find him awkward and annoying. Boq’s character in this trend has come to embody a mediocre person, and many have used the sounds to share their experiences with their own Boqs instead. These largely included relationships that ended up being flops.
Ethan Slater And Boq
The trend becomes even more interesting when you consider that Ethan Slater plays Boq. Slater and Grande began dating last year after meeting on the Wicked set, and the relationship sparked opinions as well as some criticism. When the two became involved they each cut ties with their current partners. Grande split from husband, Dalton Gomez, and Slater from his wife of four years, Lilly Jay.
The aftermath of the dating announcement included comments suggesting that Grande was homewrecking and others about Slater’s appearance. A large portion of the internet even referred to him as “Spongebob” as an homage to his role in the Spongebob Squarepants musical. Now this new trend has risen surrounding Slater’s Wicked character. Most people seem to just be making fun of the line and character. There is some confusion though over whether it’s also a jab at Slater.
Boq Slander
One creator, @tswiftfan420 has accumulated 178k followers, largely due to her hatred for Boq’s character. She is largely credited with starting what some have referred to as BoqTok. This creator, named Molly, began posting Wicked-related TikToks after seeing the movie. In the week following the release, she made herself a figurehead for the anti-Boq movement that swept TikTok. Some of the videos she made include her singing along to various Wicked songs, compiling a list of Boq’s worst moments, and just generally making fun of Boq’s character.
She even went so far as to organize a Boq lookalike contest in New York. Boq Fest, as it was referred to, took place on December 7th in Washington Square Park. The informal event drew a fairly large crowd and several Boqs threw their names in the hat. The contestants were instructed to sing a portion of Boq’s lines from the movie and the crowd even did a sing-along. The winner @raulec13 went on to share with the crowd that he’s been called Ethan Slater countless times. One account even did a journalistic report on the event which you can watch here.
Other Boq Jokes
This trend feels like an example of how far people are willing to take things. Just a few days after the me and Boq trend got its start, people were quick to doctor sounds to include “Boq” in the lyrics. My favorite that has surfaced is a rendition of Grande’s “the boy is mine.” The edit inserts “boq” in place of boy effectively making it “the boq is mine.” Other edits I’ve seen include a Boq version of Charli XCX’s “B2b” and Grande and Nicki Minaj’s “Side to Side.”
Another subcategory of the me and Boq trend has been people featuring songs they think Boq would listen to. Most of these videos just feature individual tracks. However, one video pointed out that people are making curated Spotify Me and Boq playlists. The playlists contain songs that the creators thought were Boq-core or that the character would listen to. The fact that this trend has expanded outside of TikTok to different apps is hilarious to me and indicative of how many people it resonates with.
Something Bad?
Since the me and Boq trend was born from the loathing of one character, it begs the question of whether these jokes are problematic in any way. I believe they’re all done in good fun. If anything, the rise of BoqTok has only served as further promotion for the Wicked movie. Ethan Slater does play this character, and the internet hasn’t had the kindest opinions toward him in the past. Still, nearly all the slander around Boq seems to be directed at the character versus the actor.
Moreover, the trend has helped form community by bringing together people across the internet and in person who saw and loved the Wicked movie. Some of the Boq noise has died down now. However, it begs the question of whether Boq will return when the second part is released next year. I for one hope Boq will be back.
What do you think of the me and Boq trend? Let us know in the comments!
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