The Conversation (0)
Elaine McCallig
Oct 10, 2021
Regardless of what your TikTok homepage is usually filled with, we’ll wager that the “couch guy” has made an appearance on your feed.
The man in question is a college student called Robbie. When his long-distance girlfriend Lauren filmed a TikTok where she surprised him at his student accommodation, her audience thought something was off about the way he reacted to seeing her.
Some also thought it was strange that he was sitting on a couch with three other girls, and some theorised that the girl beside him scooched over when Lauren walked in.
The comments on the viral video roasted Robbie, with one commenter remarking: “I’ve never seen someone so unhappy to see their girlfriend.”
Since the original was uploaded at the end of September, Lauren and Robbie have defended their relationship, with the couple publicly stating that they’re happy together.
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The video is now everywhere, with celebrities such as Trevor Noah weighing in on the clip.
The Daily Show host poked fun at the video, and said Robbie’s delayed reaction shouldn’t be the red flag — rather, the “damning evidence” is the guitar on the floor beside him, as Noah reckons he might have been using it to serenade the girl beside him.
Lauren’s video now has over 60 million views and it has inspired countless body language analysis videos and parodies, with big brands such as airline Ryanair making their own version of the clip.
Here are ten of the best parodies of couch guy on TikTok:
@ryanair Pilot guy was speechless🥰 #couchguy
@rachelsample He was so excited to see me! Love him so much 😍 #couchguy #couchguyslander #fyp
@farrissabrina #viral #couchguy :(
@adamw Couch guy 😂 @REL 🌹 @Cj Franco #foryou
@kfc_sam #couchguy
@gabriellekraus That’s some Robbie behavior right there… #couchguy
@bri_chief Uh oh.. #couchguy
@twosetviolin #couchguy #violaguy
@mdsnrh couch guy on wedding day #fyp #couchguy #phone
@chaosonolympus Zeus: the only one with sketchier vibes #couchguy #mythology #greekmythology #greekgods #greekgodcosplay #hera #zeus #pjo #couchguyslander #ganymede
With so many people mocking his relationship, what does the real couch guy have to say?
Robbie shared his own TikTok in which he urged people to not be “parasocial creeps” and to go “get some fresh air”.
@laurenzarras #duet with @souljawatchambassador ur great
Lauren also uploaded a video where she asked her family what they think of couch boy and they all gave him a glowing review.
Despite trying to convince her audience otherwise, TikTokers don’t seem to be able to let it go.
On every video she makes now, Lauren receives countless comments based on the couch boy video. She can’t even escape the criticism on videos that have nothing to do with her love life. In a recent food haul where she shows all the Halloween goodies she got at the shop, the top comment with almost 60,000 likes reads: “Comfort food for the breakup.”
Deciding to at least make hay while the sun shines, Lauren created “couch guy” t-shirts that people can purchase. We hope she makes enough money from the shirts to take Robbie off on a romantic trip – because this young couple could definitely do with a break.
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