Is he swinging toward the camera or building? Watch ‘the swing’ and judge for yourself

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.

https://twitter.com/ectupper/status/1208835148587790337

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.

https://twitter.com/esnycuddles/status/1208472991354503175?s=20

https://twitter.com/esnycuddles/status/1208595599341367296?s=20

Another user inadvertently points out how the “illusion” works via illustration and the caption: “Yeah he’s clearly facing the camera lol.”

https://twitter.com/MyNameIsZach/status/1208966298786504704?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.

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.

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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