TikTok’s beloved 13-year-old pug, Noodle, has become the next Punxsutawney Phil — the “seer of seers” and “prognosticator of all prognosticators.” Noodle, however, does not predict season changes by sighting his shadow. Instead, the pug determines what kind of day you will have based on whether he has “bones” or “no bones,” metaphorically.
Need a translation? Every morning, Noodle’s owner, Jonathan Graziano, nudges him awake and gently stands him up. If the pug stands for more than a few seconds, it is a “bones” day; if he slumps back down into his bed, it is a “no bones” day. Bones or no bones has become a horoscope of sorts. A bones day is a confidence booster where you can treat yourself and set ambitious goals. A no bones day is not necessarily bad; it’s meant for self-reflection and lazing. This is the time to be kind to yourself and to others, practice self-care, stay in leggings all day and say “no” to tentative plans.
Noodle the pug became viral out of nowhere, and now millions of people wake up to his daily predictions. It’s hard to believe this dog and his owner are TikTok sensations, even meeting Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie on The Today Show. In a world where the COP26 climate summit, the G20 summit, off-year elections and COVID-19 concerns are overwhelming headlines, Noodle’s videos help us forget about political polarization and divisiveness. We find comfort in the little things in life. He is the distraction we never knew we needed.
I’ve never been one to believe in horoscopes, but, out of habit, I began to watch Noodle’s 30-second forecasts every morning. My friends and I began to blame bad luck, like flat tires and being late to class, on no bones days. Tweets like “of course it was a no bones day” expressed our frustration. The days Jonathan Graziano does not post readings are a gray area, but after Florida’s devastating football loss to Georgia, I would consider them honorary no bones days, too.
People have latched onto Noodle’s videos too tightly. Part of Noodle’s claim to fame comes from his intense following and his viewers’ zeal for confirmation bias. Noodle’s fans shouldn’t base their day on whether a pug can stand on his own four paws. College — and life in general — is exhausting. We all want an excuse to have a no bones day, and Noodle empowers his viewers to take it easy. Don’t get me wrong, a break is well-deserved and can always benefit your mental health. However, we shouldn’t search for validation to be sluggish, cancel plans or stay in bed all day.
TikTok may be the only platform where an old pug named Noodle can have such a large following. Just because he can’t hold his own weight does not mean you can’t, either. Do not let a TikTok trend validate how you spend your day. Always be kind to yourself, wear hard pants whenever you want to, stay open-minded and remember that an old pug’s rise to fame holds no power over your own life.
Was Noodle’s forecast what you were hoping for today? Honestly, it does not matter.