On Oct. 27, the world received the tragic news that Noodle the pug, a Tik Tok icon and mood-reading extraordinaire, was canceled by Rolling Stone magazine. Author EJ Dickson decided on behalf of the world that Noodle’s reign should come to an end, calling him “cheugy” and “basic.” Dickson claimed that Noodle’s popularity was reaching the cheesy side of the internet and that we will soon be seeing Noodle decline as fast as he rose, because as she stated in the article’s subtitle “who the f*ck cares.”
Dickson may have grown tired of the endless Noodle references that permeate the internet nowadays, but the general public certainly is not. Rather than ending Noodle’s promising Tik Tok career, Dickson’s criticism has only fanned the flames of his loving fanbase. Fans reacted strongly through Tik Tok comments, many feel that this represents “cancel culture” gone too far.
If you’re not familiar with Noodle the pug’s divine capabilities, he is the all-knowing being who declares whether the day will be a “bones” or “no-bones” day. Each day his owner, Jonathon Graziano, picks Noodle up and gently plops him onto a dog bed to see if he will stay standing or flop over.
If he stands it is a “bones” day meaning the day will be productive, lucky and generally good. If he flops it is a “no-bones” day where you should avoid risks and take care of yourself, but it is still not necessarily a bad day. Overall, Noodle’s contributions to society have been very positive, providing joy and encouraging self-care for all 4.5 million of his Tik Tok followers and beyond.
Noodle, like most gods, has inspired music and art about his powers and adorableness. There have even been parodies of sea shanties written about people’s devotion to him. With all the serious issues in the world surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest, people need the joyful art and community that Noodle has to offer. “Bones” days make people feel better about the day ahead, encouraging them to be optimistic, and “no bones” days give people an excuse to put themselves first and focus on self care. Overall, Noodle’s impact has been nothing but positive for the online community.
Unfortunately, Dickson with her co-host Brittany Spanos decided on their podcast “Don’t Let This Flop,” that the happiness Noodle brings is over. Interestingly enough, the only other source Dickson cites in her article is a podcast she writes, further showing the general public is not done with Noodle yet.
In all seriousness, Noodle and his Tik Toks have brought a lot of fun and levity into a dark world. With COVID-19, socio-political upheaval and economic stress, everyone’s mental health is being tested. With 31% of adults surveyed by the CDC experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression during the pandemic, some light fun is needed now more than ever. Graziano has figured out a way to encourage both arbitrary joy and self-care through sharing his cute, old, pug with the world. It is disheartening to see the way the Rolling Stone magazine has tried to degrade this harmless fun.
All too often the media puts down meaningless sources of happiness as cheesy or a waste of time, but really we need more people and trends like Noodle in the world. While “cancel culture” can be effective at leading boycotts against problematic or offensive creators, it can also allow several “influencers” to decide the fate of a person’s (or pug’s) career simply because they’ve decided they no longer enjoy their content. Let people be happy without criticism, and maybe we can have more “bones” days.
