From TikTok absurdity to global commerce: the rise of Italian brainrot

Countries & Cities · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: What happens when AI-generated surrealism meets extreme internet irony? Italian brainrot is a bizarre new genre of memes featuring nonsensical hybrids—like sharks in sneakers or cappuccino-headed ballerinas—that have rapidly evolved from niche TikTok jokes into a multi-million view phenomenon with real-world commercial consequences.

Emerging in early 2025, Italian brainrot is defined by its 'sloppy aesthetics' and surrealist visuals. The trend relies on generative AI to create hybrid creatures, such as a crocodile-bodied WWII bomber or a chimpanzee with a banana body. These characters are often given Italianized names ending in -ini or -ello and are paired with synthesized Italian voiceovers. Oxford Word of the Year 2024 selected 'brain rot' to signify how trivial digital media affects cognition, yet followers of this movement employ the phrase to highlight the absurdity of the 'AI slop' they watch.

The trend's lineage is complex. It traces back to a 2023 meme featuring Dwayne Johnson rhyming the nonsense phrase 'Tralalero tralala.' This audio became the foundation for the genre, notably used by TikTok user @eZburger401 in January 2025. The phenomenon has since expanded into a sprawling 'internet folklore' featuring specific characters like the three-legged shark in Nike sneakers and the 'indestructible' banana-chimpanzee. Some elements, like the 'Tung Tung Tung' wooden log, actually have Indonesian origins related to traditional Ramadan pre-dawn meals, yet they have been absorbed into the Italian brainrot ecosystem.

The cultural impact is significant and controversial. The trend has reached the United States, South Korea, and Germany, inspiring everything from Roblox games to 'volatile' meme coins like 'Italianrot' launched in March 2025. However, it faces criticism for its content: some videos feature blasphemy or references to war crimes in Gaza, leading to concerns about desensitization. Even high-level politics have been touched, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán featuring a 3D model of a character in a government meeting. Legal battles are now brewing over whether these AI-generated characters can be copyrighted or are public domain.

Commercialization is moving fast. In 2025, Panini released a sticker album for the memes, and newsstands in Italy began selling trading card games. This rapid transition from 'brain rot' to retail products mirrors the historical trajectory of the Garbage Pail Kids. Despite the controversy, the trend remains a primary driver of engagement for Generation Alpha, who find the content's combination of stupidity and high-speed AI production 'veeeery addictive.'

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