Oupi Goupi

Absurdist Humor and the Globalization of Nonsense on TikTok

In the chaotic ecosystem of TikTok, where trends spawn within the blink of an eye, a new star has emerged from the depths of French “brainrot” culture: Oupi Goupi. Crafted from a hodge-podge collage of cat memes, Oupi Goupi is not just a character but a manifesto for absurdism in the age of algorithmic globalization.

Meet the Royal Family of Goupiland

Oupi Goupi, heir to the throne of the fictional Goupiland, is the brainchild of TikTok account @lakaka.land. With over 200K followers, the account spins lore around Oupi Sr. and Oupina, the “King and Queen” of this nonsensical realm which features a multitude of Dada-esque characters.

Dadaism 2.0: Nonsense as a Response to Global Mayhem

The original Dadaists, reacting to the horrors of World War I, made art that rejected logic and embraced chaos. A century later, Oupi Goupi reflects that same spirit. The Goupiland videos — a fever dream of distorted meows, mismatched cat JPEGs, and an ensemble cast — mirror the existential randomness of 2020s life. Climate disasters, political unrest, endless wars: Oupi’s absurdity resonates because, as one user wrote, “The world’s a joke, so why shouldn’t memes be?”

Glocalization on a Loop

The trend began in France’s “brainrot TikTok,” a subculture obsessed with anti-humor. Like so many other trends, Oupi Goupi exists by virtue of the globalized nature of the Internet, where ideas and viral content spread, are digested and then regurgitated. This glocalization — the process where global trends morph into hyper-local niches — is extremely present on TikTok whose algorithms supports niche communities better than other platforms.

In their profile, @lakaka_land pays tribute touser @offlainnnn — who uses similarly absurdist humor English and German videos — highlighting the global reach of this brand of brainrot humor.

TikTokers from all over the globe come together to bask in the surrealness of Oupi Goupi, with many comments coming from non-French speakers :

-“This is why I’m learning French, to understand Goupiland lore”

-“As an American, I don’t get it… but I’ve watched this 47 times”

Here, globalization isn’t flattening culture — it’s amplifying the weird. While Goupiland videos may be in French, being fluent isn’t important so long as you embrace the ~vibe~.

Why Absurdism Wins

Dadaist Hugo Ball once declared, “For us, art is not an end in itself… but a chance to tell the truth.” Oupi Goupi’s truth is simple: Nothing matters, so everything can. In comment sections from Jakarta to Lyon, users find solidarity in shared confusion. The meme’s meaning isn’t lost in translation — it’s created there, in the chaos of a thousand strangers laughing at nothing together.

As one viral stitch put it: “Oupi Goupi is the only world leader I trust.” Long live the Prince of Nothing.

Written by Joseph Markman — exploring the human side of technology.

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