A video of kids waving a narrow rod in front of a pig while hunching like Dracula and giving someone a death stare has taken the internet by storm, leaving people scratching their heads.
“What did I just watch?” seems to be the primary response to the video shared on the @dadsonfarms TikTok page, followed by various versions of “Where am I?” and “What is happening?” and “How did I end up here?”
The befuddlement is only matched by the curiosity and confused laughter that naturally result from seeing something so…unbelievable? Unexpected? Unusual? Uncanny?
How else should one describe this?
@dadsonfarms Krew and Karis at The Revival livestock Show! #showpigs #pigshow
“This is the weirdest thing 😂😂🤣 I have so many questions!!!” wrote one person.
“Why do I feel like this is a staring competition and the pigs are just a added difficulty 🤣,” wrote another.
“Yay!!! I’m back on hunchback death stare competition while also showing pigs tiktok!” exclaimed another.
“Again. What did I react to, to end me up here?” asked another.
If you’ve ever stepped foot in the world of 4-H or FFA (Future Farmers of America), you likely recognize there’s a livestock showing competition happening here. But if you’re a city slicker with no rural or agricultural ties, you may not know that “showing” animals is even a thing.
Not only it it a thing, but it’s a highly competitive endeavor with specific rules and guidelines and expectations. It does help to have the showmanship requirements explained, however, and thankfully the kids’ dad explained in a separate video.
The kids showcased here are Karis and Krew, twins who compete in the 13 to 16-year-old category of pig showing. The pigs are Smack Down and Greta. The reason the competitors stare so intently is to show they are paying attention to the judge and also to show how much control they have. (And according to one commenter, they get extra points for keeping eye contact with the judge the whole time.)
More questions answered here:
@dadsonfarms @Lawrence Johnson I tried to answer all your Questions about showing Pigs 😊! #showpigs #pigshow
People have been fascinated to learn about how much goes into these exhibitions. Who knew pig showing was this intense? And with judges being flown across the country—there’s an official Livestock Judges’ Association and everything—this is clearly serious business.
Except when you add the music to it, it just comes off as seriously strange hilarity.
@dadsonfarms Great night to show at western regionals #showpigs #hogshowman
So what exactly is the point of all of this?
When livestock showing began in the 1800s, the primary purpose was to improve the quality of livestock. These days, it’s more about helping young people developing character qualities through programs like 4-H and FFA while learning about farm animal care and preparation for selling. They learn about responsibility, self-discipline, hard work and professionalism through these competitions.
And they clearly master making eye contact as well. You can follow @dadsonfarms on TikTok for more.