TikTok’s super-creative generation will always come up with something to make your jaw drop, send your ribs cracking, or leave you scratching your head. So, what’s the meaning of the “AS” on TikTok?
The AS on TikTok means “adult swim”, and it’s a trend that pays homage to Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim show. It involves users creating hilarious videos revealing the stylized [adult swim] or [as] logo in the end, as a parody of the show’s iconic “bumps” or transition clips between programs.
The acronyms, buzzwords, and hashtags on TikTok will come and disappear almost as quickly as they emerge, thanks to the platform’s dynamic nature. Let’s take a deeper look at all the information surrounding TikTok’s Adult Swim trend.
What Does AS Mean on TikTok?
The “AS” you see on TikTok is an abbreviation for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. As the name implies, Adult Swim is a series of adult-oriented TV shows the channel airs for a late-night audience.
The “AS” trend on TikTok typically involves users making video clips featuring “[adult swim],” “[as]”, or random sentences best described as rambling thoughts. But then they’re used as captions, making them look like Adult Swim bumps.
The bumps on the original Adult Swim shows are essentially transition clips between commercial breaks and featured programming. They include time-lapses, short films, and brief textual sequences, all ending with the [adult swim] logo appearing somewhere within the action.
Due to their brevity and cheeky conversational tone that appeals to the audience through on-screen text, TikTok is just about the perfect platform to parody the bumps.
The videos can be as simple or elaborate as you want, but it usually involves hiding the Adult Swim logo within the environment, revealing it only when a subject moves their head to expose what’s behind them. Others try to show the “AS” logo as creatively as possible, such as by making a neon sign or spelling it out with cereal.
Where Did Adult Swim Come From?
The Adult Swim trend on TikTok started with a dreamy beat produced by a user known as Vano 3000 (@supvano), whose path to fame began shortly after joining the platform.
He started making TikTok videos while producing beat tapes in his truck in Florida. A few months after joining TikTok, he used the now viral Adult Swim beat for a soundtrack of a video of him eating a sandwich on a street corner.
The beat samples BADBADNOTGOOD’s song Times Move Slow particularly the part which says, “Running away is easy, it’s the leaving that’s hard.” The beat Vano 300 came up with chops and pitches up bits of the original song, ultimately producing what’s now become TikTok’s biggest earworm.
Vano 3000 originated the now viral trend with a video of a person standing in the Times Square 42nd Street subway station in a Spider-Man costume, adding the stylized Adult Swim logo and text. TikTok users then widely adopted the concept in the next couple of weeks, sending the trend ballooning to dynamic proportions.
Meanwhile, Vano 3000 continued posting Adult Swim bump parodies on his own TikTok account, imbuing others to partake of it. Adult Swim itself joined in, surprisingly even using Vano 3000’s beat while acknowledging the trend on its official account.
Other creative TikTok users have since taken the trend a step ahead by including a hidden reveal of the newly stylized [as] logo at the end of their clips. The hashtag #AdultSwim currently has over 1.8 billion views on TikTok.
What is The Purpose of Adult Swim on TikTok?
The Adult Swim trend gives TikTok users room to boost their creativity besides paying homage to Cartoon Network’s adult-oriented cable channel by the same name. The nostalgic trend has gone viral by allowing TikTok users to recreate Adult Swim’s late-night bumps.
The format of the bumps is unmistakable – they’re short sequences with rich visual communication necessary for the stylized [adult swim] logo reveal, and the on-screen text employs a conversational tone.
Given this specific tone, it’s possible that some TikTok users misunderstood the assignment. There are some people who can’t properly replicate the style of the trend or are completely unaware of the Adult Swim reference.
Still, the Adult Swim trend has sparked creativity on TikTok. Creators can tinker around with an established video syntax, essentially opening unimaginable possibilities. Very few TikTok trends have led to such an incredible range of spins on a single format. Think of it as something that pushes the app to its limits, showing you what it’s really capable of.
Does Adult Swim Still Exist?
Adult Swim still exists on TV and shows no signs of ending yet. It runs from Monday through Saturday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern Time. You can also watch it on Sunday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET. As with Cartoon Network, its reach through various services currently exceeds 95 million Americans.
The shows are notorious for the explicit use of strong language, graphic violence, and sexual themes. As opposed to the daytime viewing on Cartoon Network, which is more geared towards children, Adult Swim shows include the following:
- Rick and Morty
- Black Jesus
- Final Space
- Robot Chicken
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force
It also features reruns of well-known animated shows like Bob’s Burgers and Family Guy. But it’s not the Adult Swim shows that inspired TikTok’s “AS” trend. It all came from TikTok users paying tribute to the original “bumpers” on the show.
The bumpers, or “bumps” as they’re colloquially known, typically aired before or after an ad break to promote the shows. Random, nutty, and a little off-beat funny bumps were true to the cheeky spirit of Adult Swim. But the bumps were also quite simple, often showcasing old cars or people taking a dip in the lake.