There’s nothing sweeter than the realization that almost everyone else does the same, exact, potentially weird thing you do.
In a recent example that blew up on TikTok, comedian Mike Lenczewski posted a five-second video that depicts how white people act whenever they go hiking. Lenczewski stars in the video, which features several clips of him walking uphill while slightly out of breath, smiling, and saying “hi” in something one level above a whisper. At one point, he’s still smiling as he says, “I hate it.”
“Its me, im white people,” he wrote.
@mikelenczewski Its me, im white people #whitepeoplebelike #hikingcomedy ♬ original sound – Mike Lenczewski
Since he posted the video on TikTok, it’s received more than 12.7 million views as people share just how hard they relate to his video and what they’re trying to convey with their breathless pleasantries. They might also offer words of encouragement, especially if someone is nearing the top of a hill.
@maggiegreer #duet with @mikelenczewski #whitepeoplebelike ♬ original sound – Mike Lenczewski
“Wait I thought I was just being nice and I’m always in a good mood hiking,” @maggiegreer wrote in a duet with Lenczewski’s video.
“This is the realest thing I’ve ever seen on this app,” @banjawanja added while laughing.
@banjawanja #duet with @mikelenczewski #whitepeoplebelike ♬ original sound – Mike Lenczewski
But it’s also a way for some hikers to show that they mean no harm or in case something bad happens.
“We are in the middle of the woods… I’m trying to convey I’m nice and not gonna eat your spleen,” @LucaCastile commented on Lenczewski’s video.
“As a solo hiker, I don’t want to say hi but it is a way to make me more memorable in case something happens and I need witnesses,” Vanessa McCray wrote in response to @maggiegreer’s duet. “Common safety tip.”
We reached out to Lenczewski by email.
