John Pork is a virtual influencer that resembles a realistic anthropomorphic pigman, depicted as a man with a human body and a pig’s head. He has become a viral “pig man” meme on TikTok, with users creating and sharing various images and videos featuring the character.
Who is John Pork?
John Pork is a unique character in the world of virtual influencers. He is a computer-generated AI half-pig half-human hybrid. His appearance, which combines the body of a man with the head of a pig, has caught the attention of internet users worldwide.
Origin and Evolution on Social Media: John Pork’s journey began on Instagram in 2018 under the username @john.pork. He started as a fashion model, sharing AI-generated selfies and pictures near different tourist spots. He often referred to himself as the “coolest pig in the world” in several of his Instagram captions.
His popularity grew when people started to get creative with John’s pig face and edited it onto an iPhone call screen to make it look like the actual John Pork was calling them. This sparked a new viral trend on TikTok, where people shared clips of themselves receiving a call from John Pork and expressing confusion about whether to answer it or not.
John Pork’s origin predates the abundance of AI-generated memes today. His evolution on social media has been marked by his unique and bizarre nature, which has led to over 900 million views on TikTok under #johnpork and nearly 300,000 followers on his Instagram.
Despite his fame, the true identity behind John Pork remains unknown. His creator has insisted on keeping his true identity a secret, adding to the mystery of this particularly unique meme. John Pork continues to expand his presence, including a memory book Instagram account and a range of merchandise.
The ‘John Pork is Calling’ Meme
The ‘John Pork is calling’ meme took over TikTok in March 2023. The meme features John Pork calling the viewer on their cellphone. The meme was created with a Capcut template and was first uploaded by TikToker @rover.joe. In less than a week, it earned over 6 million plays, skyrocketing the concept of John Pork calling you to viral meme status.
Users have interacted with the meme in various creative ways. Since the video’s upload, multiple variations of John Pork dialing you up have landed on the platform, seeping into other meme templates, trends, and sounds. Various skits have surfaced in which creators pretend they are receiving the John Pork call. For example, some users have created videos where they act surprised or scared when they receive a call from John Pork.
In addition to the ‘John Pork is calling’ meme, John Pork has been the subject of other memes as well. Between 2019 and 2021, several memes were uploaded to Reddit joking that John Pork selfies were Technoblade face reveals due to Technoblade using a pig as his avatar.
The ‘John Pork is calling’ meme is representative of some of the best the internet had to offer, a simple starting baseline that then prompted some seriously inventive online moments. It was truly remarkable to witness how a single piece of content could inspire such a diverse range of creations.
The Death Hoax
In March 2023, a death hoax about John Pork circulated on TikTok. The rumor claimed that John Pork had been fatally shot and killed. Some theories even suggested that he was found dead in a river. However, these claims were quickly debunked by fact-checking websites and were found to be unfounded rumors.
The death hoax was part of the ‘John Pork is calling’ meme. The post went viral, and the ‘John Pork is calling’ meme was born.
The death hoax emerged from the narrative that no one was picking up John Pork’s calls, leading users to suggest that something bad happened to him because of it. The story progression seems to be based on the fact that no one picked up his call and users suggesting that something bad happened to him because of it. This led to various theories about John Pork’s alleged death, with some users even suggesting that he was shot in Atlanta.
Is John Pork Dead?
Despite the rumors, the original creator on Instagram confirmed that John Pork was not dead. The death hoax, however, added another layer to the ‘John Pork is calling’ meme, with many people thinking John was calling for help. This led to a surge in the meme’s popularity, with users creating content around the idea of receiving a call from John Pork and expressing confusion about whether to answer it or not.
In an interview, John Pork’s creator stated: “That was another funny trend linked to the ‘John Pork is calling’ meme, as many people thought John was calling for help. I love how the project can take on different shapes in the hands of fans, no matter how absurd or crazy they may seem. Of course, I am still alive and thrilled to see what the future holds.”3The creator also mentioned that they are working on exciting new plans to propel the John Pork project in new directions, including live streams and DJ sessions featuring the virtual influencer.3 So while the death rumors were just part of the ongoing meme, it seems John Pork has a lot more in store for his fans in the near future.