Welcome to the interwebs, the place that the color of a dress and an argument over the words “Yanny” and “Laurel” become existential value judgments.
On Sunday, TikTok user Eric Tupper re-posted an old clip of his from a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska. It features someone on a swing, in the snow, going up and down—back and forth. But was he facing the camera or the building? It quickly divided loyalties online.
“Re-post cause it blew up on tiktok, which way is he facing?” he asked the internet at-large.
Re-post cause it blew up on tiktok, which way is he facing? pic.twitter.com/hG4DY9rg0v
— T U P P E R (@ectupper) December 22, 2019
The muddled footage in the snow and lack of definition in park equipment make this a tough call.
The science of his swing quickly became a hotbed of speculation.
He’s definitely not facing the building because his body can’t just go through the bar like that pic.twitter.com/2dau0UKLh2
— ana (@esnycuddles) December 21, 2019
I literally thought the same thing until I saw these pictures pic.twitter.com/39vNntZJ5F
— ana (@esnycuddles) December 22, 2019
Another user inadvertently points out how the “illusion” works via illustration and the caption: “Yeah he’s clearly facing the camera lol.”
Yeah, he's clearly facing the camera lol pic.twitter.com/3ygJs9xFCV
— DooM Zach (@MyNameIsZach) December 23, 2019
https://twitter.com/akaDirtyBoxer/status/1209002103047426048?s=20
The grainy footage and constant motion without much variance don’t help in the selection. That didn’t help people from making sketches and diagrams.
https://twitter.com/RimbambitchsHDA/status/1208730255533518848?s=20
However, the question was answered, apparently. Remember: It’s an old clip.
“We drove up to him, he was facing us,” Tupper tweeted on Feb. 20.
Just in case people are still checking on this and this account is where I first saw this video (which came out in February this year I just learned) here’s the solution from the guy who was there. pic.twitter.com/Wr8HBTLPi2
— S.⚡️ (@RAYNBARRY) December 22, 2019
A sleuth has already made a whole detail video. Nothing quite like just going outside into the snow and checking it out yourself.
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