TikTok has invented its latest piece of Gen Z internet lore: a mock “war” between two niche hobbyist groups known as “glovers” and “sliders.”
The exaggerated rivalry, framed through faux-dramatic narration and escalating lore, isn’t exactly serious, but but it is spreading fast.
It’s already evolved into inventing new absurd hobby groups who will reign supreme when both glovers and sliders fall.
The glovers vs. sliders TikTok war
If you’re not aware (because you’re normal), both glovers and sliders are real groups named after their preferred recreational activities. Glovers don gloves lit at the fingertips in dark rooms and make their hands dance for the camera. Sliders strap on knee pads to slide on on concrete.
Participants in either often appear to take their hobbies very seriously, with drama cropping up among the most famous members. Sliders tend to slide in face paint reminiscent of Insane Clown Posse, but scarier. Glovers will perform in full-coverage plastic face masks like they’re supervillains.
It’s unclear when the “war” began, but most videos on the topic originate from a week ago at most. TikTok account @odinseyeofficial posted about the downfall of glover legends and the threat of sliders on Dec. 12.
@odinseyeofficial Gloving vs sliding #gloving #sliding #slider #fryboy #glovingcommunity ♬ original sound – Odin’s Eye
“With the gloving community in complete disarray after Grandmaster Glover Infinite Puppet declared war on all gloving posers, an external threat is waiting in the shadows, ready to strike and put an end to the once glorious gloving empire,” the narrator says.
“Beyond the gloving circles, there’s a group that doesn’t glide with light—they slide. I am of course talking about the notorious and barbaric group of savages who call themselves the sliding community.”
TikToker @solrflare04 gained 1.6 million views with a video joking about the war.
@solrflare04 #fyp #viral #gloving #sliding ♬ original sound – nathann.fx
“When it’s year 1 A.K. (After Kirk) and the great war between glovers and sliders begins,” the caption reads.
We’re not deep into it enough to know who Kirk is, but the trend is quickly devolving into brainrot territory.
@boys23666 siapa yang akan menang? #gloving #vs #sliding #degloved #foryou ♬ Set it off – slatt2slimey
Penspinners, hat mouthers, snap squad, bird balancers
As these videos spread, it wasn’t long before the TikTok crowd was ready to take it to the next level of absurdity. The latest thing is inventing new weird hobbyist communities based on the strangest or most mundane activities.
A video by someone in the alleged snapper community posted one on their hobby’s superiority over glovers, sliders, and “penspinners.”
“Glover: Human beings in a mob,” the caption says. “Slider: What’s a mob to a king? Penspinner: What’s a king to a god? Snap Squad: What’s a god to a non-believer?”
We can go sillier. The next day, @yeoogif posted about the supremacy of bird balancing. Remember those bird figurines you could balance on your finger? If you do, you might be kind of old, sorry.
“Gloving is WAY too mainstream,” the video declared. “WE are all on bird balancing now.”
Perhaps the strangest we could find was something called “hat mouthing.” This appears to involve holding a billed cap in your mouth and sliding it back and forth with your head bent forward.
“While you guys are on sliding and gloving, WE are on hat mouthing,” says @xzc_1li. “Keep this enduring sport niche.”
What will they come up with next?
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