Noodle the Pug: virality of a bones or no bones day

Story by Lauren Alley, Photographer and Staff Writer|November 24, 2021

Rebekah Nelson

13-year-old Noodles the pug and his owner Jonathan Graziano predict the daily forecast with TikTok trend “bones or no bones.”

Bones or No Bones? That seems to be the question taking over TikTok. Will it be a bones day or a no bones day? Only TikTok star, Noodle the pug, knows the answer.

Bones or no bones was created by TikTok user Jonathan Graziano. Every day, he posts videos of his 13-year-old pug, Noodle, waking up in the morning. Graziano attempts to stand him up and if he stays standing, it’s a “bones” day. If he falls back to bed, it’s a “no bones” day. Like a good day or a bad day, bones and no bones days are opposite of each other. A bones day means a day where you are on top of things and productive. A no bones day is one where you are a little more lazy, giving more time to yourself.

Noodle the pug stands up in bed on Oct. 23, declaring it a “bones day.”

For Freshman Madi Byerley, bones or no bones is something she has seen a lot, as she follows Noodle on TikTok.

“I feel like these days a lot of people rely on something to tell them if they are going to have a good or bad day. And Noodle is really cute, so why not?” Byerley said.

These videos have been around since Aug. 13, when the first bones or no bones video was posted, this video getting over 2 million views.

“Something that a lot of people follow and something that is in the news a lot, especially on TikTok since so many people use it [causes these viral videos],” Byerley said.

Some have seen the trend pop up on their “for you page” due to the popularity while some have heard about it through word of mouth.

For Freshman Emma Grossoehme, she heard about it from others.

“I have seen it on my TikTok, but I have heard a lot more people talk about it,” Grossoehme said.

TikTok has a long list of famous trends, like bones or no bones, that have taken over the app. Trends like ghost photoshoots or “what I eat in a day” are just a few of the countless trends that have gone through TikTok. Millions of people get behind a trend and that is why they are able to spread.

“Popularity and seeing other people share things, it just keeps spreading and then it gets really big,” Grossoehme said. “I don’t think this trend will continue on. People get really big into something for a minute and then it just dies down.”

Names like Charli D’Amelio and Addision Rae got their celebrity status from dancing on TikTok. They each took part in creating dances to popular songs and posted them. Through others watching their videos, their dances created a phenomenon that many users wanted to be a part of, just like Noodle and his daily posts.

Noodle the pug has gained so much attention on the internet that he now carries his own merchandise line.

Senior Preston Stanley has seen the many videos of Noodle and can understand why the videos have gotten so much attention.

“I think they are viral mostly because of the cute dog,” Stanley said. “But it also gives people something to relate to in their own life.”

Noodle has racked up 56.2 million likes from his daily posts and has created his own fan base. Followers are able to find some sort of validation for the feelings they have each day.

“It gives people something to look forward to,” Stanley said. “Like, ‘I’m having an awful day today,’ ‘Well today is a no bones day after all.'”

With the supporters he has gained, Noodle was even able to open his own merchandise line. His fan base continues to grow, so Noodle is not going anywhere.