TikTok has become the new social media craze. Its popularity grew more during the coronavirus quarantine, with everyday people and celebrities alike participating in various dance challenges, comedy sketches, and more. Megan The Stallion’s “Savage” challenge had everyone from Mason Disick to Ryan Destiny and Normani showing off their best moves. Millions have shared their videos across all social media platforms and new influencers have emerged as a result. Apparently, incarcerated persons also have access to TikTok, and the hosts of the Fox daytime talk show The Real are not happy about it. Guest host Ryan Michelle Bathe, who has been filling in for Loni Love, is the only one who was in favor of it. Comedian Loni Love was the first to express her disagreement with incarcerated citizens being able to utilize the platform. “A lot of them are doing it because they get money. They put their CashApp in their account and they’re getting money,” she said. “I don’t think it’s right. You’re in prison for a reason. You ain’t in prison to be partying and making dance videos.” Newcomer Garcelle Beauvais agreed, as well as Adrienne Houghton, with Houghton saying, “When you’re talking about violent crimes or something like that, that’s upsetting. Like I can’t imagine you having done something violent to a family member, killing someone in my family, and then I get to see you do a little song and a dance on TikTok. That would piss me off.” Social media users are blasting the hosts, with many calling them judgemental and pointing out the many major injustices currently taking place that they find more important than inmates using TikTok. Considering the movement to reform and even abolish prisons, the hosts' comments are coming across as tone-deaf.

Sis in the lower left hand corner was the only one with sense during this conversation and it’s pretty sad. This is how y’all feel about prisoners? Black ones? In this racial climate? Horrible.
— Jessica Fyre????✨ (@TheJessieWoo) November 25, 2020

there are so many injustices in the world and yet y'all choose to talk about TikTok.
— (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤ (@iamtiaskye101) November 25, 2020

I really wonder if any of y’all even bothered to talk to these inmates on TikTok? Anybody who was formerly incarcerated? Anybody who studies the prison industrial complex? Etc. b4 getting up there and trying to play morality police on TV on a topic you clearly dunno like that.
— Ama Jane (@The_Black_Jane) November 25, 2020

what an asinine conversation. prisoners have the ability to dance or feel happy regardless of if you can see them in a video or not. frankly the entire lot of you are too old to be worrying about tiktok in the first place ????
— ????jordan???? (@lichengoodness) November 25, 2020

Prisoners are human beings and it is a failing of society that we continue to turn a blind eye to the money making machine that is the prison industrial complex. It thrives because it successfully encourages you to be complicit in the criminalisation of Blackness.
— machine gun Kele (@kelechnekoff) November 25, 2020

Kalief Browder spent two years in solitary confinement because he couldn’t afford bail and later committed suicide. Y’all don’t have the range for these conversations and it’s insulting and really painful to watch.
— New uterine lining, who dis? (@_imjustkiki) November 25, 2020

Photo: The Real

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