Some parents like to watch their child eat sour food for the first time, take pickles or a slice a lemon, for instance. Others like to fling sliced cheese at their babies’ faces, hoping it will stick.
A new viral trend has graced us with its presence, a “challenge” if you will, that involves adults tossing a slice of American cheese at their kid’s face. Why? For the slight hope that the barely edible dairy product sticks to the baby’s face, all while documenting the process.
As Detroit’s WXYZ News points out, the “cheese challenge” appears to have started last week after Michigan dad Charles Amara shared a video on Facebook of a baby sitting in a highchair before having a piece of processed cheese tossed at his face.
“You asked for it, here it is! Attack of the cheese Episode 2,” he wrote in a now-deleted social media post. “He wasn’t happy after this one.”
The video showed the toddler’s stunned reaction as the sliced cheese stayed plastered to his face.
From there, the same video was picked up by Twitter user @unclehxlmes, claiming he had “just cheesed my lil brother.” His video went on to be viewed millions of times before he decided to delete it and confess the video wasn’t his.
“I deleted it because it genuinely got way out of hand,” he explained, noting it wasn’t his child or video. “I have spoken to the child’s mother and explained why I have deleted it, it was very invasive for the family and I would like to apologize.”
Meanwhile, the video went on to inspire others to fling cheese slices at unsuspecting toddlers.
The challenge is reminiscent of the pre-social media videos often seen on America’s Funniest Home Videos, back when comedian Bob Saget was host in the ‘90s, of parents giving their babies sour food for the first time and recording their reaction.
However, not all social media users agree on the challenge, with some saying it borders on child abuse.
“Just found out about this #cheesechallenge, looked it up, and my first reaction was HOW WRONG IS THIS???” reads a comment. “I actually feel this is bordering child abuse. It’s so incredibly stupid that it doesn’t make sense to do it, making it abusive. These are babies people, babies!!!”
“For the same reason I detest practical jokes, inflicting humiliation on someone is never humour,” reads another. “Doing it to someone who is defenseless, is despicable. Using it to get public acclaim shows a drastic level of low self-esteem.”
Model Chrissy Teigen chimed in saying: “I love a prank as much as anybody but I cannot get myself to throw cheese at my adorable, unsuspecting baby who has all the hope and trust in the world in me.”
Here’s a look at more reaction.