Are you a What’s up Bullitt, Rocky or Ken girl? Gen Z-ers hop on the viral trend that’s taking over TikTok.
TikTok isn’t without its obscure pop-culture references, but leave it to these Gen Z-ers to repurpose a few of them for a now viral trend. So, what exactly are you? Are you a “What’s up, Bullitt?” kind of girl? Or do you lean more “What’s up, Rocky?” Or does “Hi, Ken!” feel like more your speed?
If these words seem confusing to you, let us explain.
On Nov. 15, the TikTok account @just_girlyy_things posted a 15-second video, which has so far been viewed more than 20 million times, that features three distinct pop-culture moments that are now being used to distinguish someone’s “vibe.” In less than two weeks since being uploaded, there are more than 42,000 TikTok videos using this sound.
The first clip features late actor Paul Walker and actress-model Devon Aoki from 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious. In the scene, Walker’s Brian O’Conner acknowledges Suki, played by Aoki, ahead of a race they’re both competing in.
“What’s up, Suki?” O’Conner says, to which she responds, “What’s up, Bullitt?” (O’Conner earned the nickname of “Bullitt” after the 1968 action film of the same name starring actor Steve McQueen.)
For those of us invested in the Rihanna–A$AP Rocky love story, the next clip of @just_girlyy_things’ video is practically legendary at this point. In 2020, the Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin founder answered 15 questions from Rocky for Vogue. In the opening minutes of the YouTube video, which has more than 10 million views, Rocky says, “What’s up, RiRi?” prompting Rihanna to respond, laughing, “What’s up, Rocky?”
The final clip, which is also the newest of the three, is of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling from 2023’s Barbie. In one of the film’s earlier montages, Gosling’s Ken eagerly yells, “Hi, Barbie!” to the titular character, played by Robbie. Barbie then acknowledges Ken with a cheerful “Hi, Ken!”
So why does any of this matter?
Gen Z girlies on TikTok are using these three clips to help decipher what kind of girl they are.
While the interpretations of each interaction remain mixed, a popular understanding is that “What’s up, Bullitt?” gives off a more old-friends-catching-up vibe, while “What’s up, Rocky?” is far flirtier. It could also help to acknowledge the context of each clip — O’Conner and Suki were never thought to have been romantically linked in 2 Fast 2 Furious, and Aoki’s character completely disappears from the franchise following her sole appearance in that film. And while their romance wasn’t confirmed back then, Rihanna and Rocky were rumored to be an item during the time of the Vogue interview, hence the overt flirting.
Of course, if you’ve seen Barbie, then the writing is on the wall: Barbie’s acknowledgment of Ken, while strictly platonic (on her end, anyway), is always bubbly and cheerful.
Another way some Gen Z-ers are looking at this trend is by taking the overall essence of each interaction — and applying it to how they carry themselves in front of someone they’re interested in. That is, a “What’s up, Bullitt” girl generally plays things cool. A “What’s up, Rocky?” girl, on the other hand, is coy and can’t hide the fact that she’s smitten, while a “Hi, Ken!” girl is just generally enthusiastic to see anyone.
“People need to stop forcing ‘wassup bullet’ like its okay to be real,” @_4nge1as wrote in response to @just_girlyy_things’ video.
“In my mind im a “wassup bullet” but in irl im a “hi ken!!” @sweetbeecoffee commented, which has more than 54,000 likes.
“I feel like wsp bullet is friends, wsp rocky is in love and wsp ken is just being friendly w no interest,” @ksling.xoxo suggested.
Now, with all this in mind, we can’t help but wonder — what kind of girl are you?
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The post Are you a What’s up Bullitt, Rocky or Ken girl? Gen Z-ers hop on the viral trend that’s taking over TikTok. appeared first on In The Know.
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