The TikTokers Who Spammed a Texas Abortion Tip Line With Shrek Memes Are My New Heroes

I’ve had a lot of heroes in my life—Mulan, Emma Goldman, and the female counselor at my summer camp who refused to teach cooking on the grounds that it was “sexist” come to mind—but they all pale in comparison to the group of TikTokers who, upon hearing news of the horrifying new six-week abortion ban in Texas that effectively deputizes private citizens to turn in anyone who might have helped a pregnant person access an abortion in exchange for a $10,000 bounty, immediately began to spam one of the new “whistleblower sites” with pornographic Shrek memes. No, I’m not kidding.

It should be said that the “whistleblower sites” aren’t technically affiliated with the government, having been up and running for at least a month before SB8, the Texas abortion bill, was signed. As Vice’s Carter Sherman reported, attempts to flood the site with Shrek porn (which, if you’re unfamiliar, can best be summarized here, though there’s really no explaining it) were already well underway as of August; but the passing of the dystopian-seeming bill reinvigorated attempts to crash those sites.

Once SB8 went into effect in early September, TikTokers flew into action—and helped their viewers follow suit—with TikTok creator Sean Black telling Motherboard, “To me the McCarthyism-era tactics of turning neighbors against each other over a bill I feel is a violation of Roe v. Wade is unacceptable. There are people on TikTok using their platform to educate and do their part. I believe this is me doing mine.”

This isn’t the first time that a social-media army has been mobilized for the greater good: Amidst nationwide protests last summer, BTS fans took over right-wing hashtags like #BlueLivesMatter and #MAGA, effectively rendering them useless as rallying points. Then, as now, I stand in awe of Gen Z, or at least its more TikTok-savvy cohort; while I’ve been mired in despair about SB8, futilely googling “how to help Texas,” these TikTokers have harnessed their collective power to send a clear message to anyone seeking to capitalize on abortion-seeking people’s pain and fear for their own financial and moral gain. I’m not saying I want them all to be president, but also….maybe I am? BTS/Shrek porn TikTok joint campaign for 2024!