If you didn’t already know, TikTok might be gone this weekend. President Joe Biden signed a law into effect that could shut down the popular app on Sunday, and on Friday, the Supreme Court upheld the law. According to various reports, unless ByteDance, its current Chinese parent company, sells its U.S. operations, the app will shut down in the country on Sunday.
In light of the news, we thought we’d take a trip down memory lane and remember some of Northeast Ohio’s biggest moments and creators on the app.
(Photo by Anthony Elder, Courtesy E. 81st Deli)
“It’s a Chicken Salad”
After Tenisha Godfrey posted a video raving about the chicken salad at E. 81st Deli in Cleveland, the clip blew up on the platform with various remixes and songs — and the small restaurant ended up in the spotlight. We tried the chicken salad, and it was worth the hype.
(Photo by Daniel Lozada)
Barefoot Tricksters
A couple entertained and infuriated viewers with videos of themselves cutting the bottoms of their shoes off so they could secretly walk barefoot in establishments in Crocker Park and Downtown Cleveland. But it turns out their social media curated “barefoot lifestyle” was fake.
Costco Hot Dogs
Sir Yacht (aka Joey Kinsley’s) antics pretty regularly appear on TikTok — but one of his more recent attention-grabbing moments happened when he ate Costco hot dogs, and Costco hot dogs only, for an entire week. The content creator was named a Cleveland Magazine Most Interesting Person in 2022.
(Photo by Daniel Lozada)
Gangster Granny and Ross Smith
This pair of content creators — Youngstown’s Ross Smith and his grandmother — have gone viral numerous times on the platform for pranks, skits and appearances. That includes when Granny threw out the first pitch at a Guardians game, using a flame thrower to remove snow from a driveway, meeting Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and more. (It was no surprise when we named them Cleveland Magazine Most Interesting People in 2024.)
(Photo courtesy Chip Tha Ripper)
“Interior Crocodile Alligator”
Cleveland rapper Chip Tha Ripper’s humorous, meme-worthy freestyle lyrics “Interior Crocodile Alligator / I Drive a Chevrolet Movie Theater” became a viral sound on TikTok a few years ago. Bonus: These lyrics have a very-Cleveland story behind them.
(Photo courtesy April G. Photography)
A Waterpark Wedding Photo Shoot
A very splish-splashy wedding photo shoot took place at Sandusky’s Kalahari location, and a video of the process popped off on TikTok. Hear from the photographer about how she pulled it off.
(Photo courtesy of Lance Aerial Media)
Train Painting
Local artist and musician Guice Mann (aka, Charlie Malta) is known for his colorful paintings, particularly on local busted train cars. A viral TikTok video of him painting and dancing atop a train car showed an eclectic peep into his artistic process and personality.
(Photo by Ken Blaze)
Cleveland Snack Daddy
Stefan Johnson keeps it real in his food review videos, many of which feature spots in his hometown of Cleveland. He’s a major TikTok creator, known for his snack reviews and voiceover work for Doritos, McDonald’s and World Wrestling Entertainment and more. We named Johnson a Most Interesting Person in 2024.
(Photos courtesy Hannah Hines, John Ventura, Izeonme Photography)
CLE Content Creators
Plenty of Northeast Ohio-based content creators stood out on the platform, and we highlighted them at Cleveland Magazine. That includes everything from photographer Dani Venen to fashion influencer Laurel Larson, along with an epic Dungeons & Dragons dungeon master, a Cleveland-style skater and a handful of Cleveland-focused travel accounts.
RELATED: 10 Cleveland TikTok Celebrities to Follow
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect Friday's Supreme Court decision.
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