'Boyfriend haul' TikTok trend accused of racism

What was, perhaps, intended to be a cute TikTok trend showing off partners to social media has soon sparked some serious concerns.

The "boyfriend haul" involves women showcasing their partners online as though they bought them at the store. One woman says she once "returned" her partner "but decided to buy again."

She said: "When the updated version came back out a few years later, I re-bought him.

"I got him about two years ago now... He will let you work out with him, run errands with him, cook with him."

She then joked that the one downside to her "purchase" was that he came with "these little sticks he likes to play with" while holding a golf club.

Some examples, such as the above, have been perceived as entirely innocent, all in the name of fun. However, several viral clips have sparked a debate after presenting their Black partners as objects of sale.

Creators have called out the "uncomfortable" clips, explaining the history of racism and slavery and why they come across as problematic.

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TikTok user @sunshinelively took to the platform to offer her take on the trend. In her montage, she watched three separate interracial relationships.

She said the first two were fine. However, the third snippet presented many issues, as the woman described her partner as a "purebred Nigerian from the motherland."

The commentator says: "This is probably last thing you'll hear from me about the boyfriend haul because the people that get it, get it.

"The ones that don't, just don't – and there's nothing that I can do about that."

A second TikTok user (@xiandivyne) watched a separate clip, writing: "Playing the vine boom at every moment they should have realised this sounded like a slave auction".

Despite many calling out the trend for its hugely problematic and racial tones, the trend appears to finally be slowing down on TikTok, and many have removed their videos from the platform.

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