If you’ve spent time on TikTok or Twitter recently, you’ve probably seen clips of PinkyDoll’s TikTok livestreams. PinkyDoll is a TikTok performer and clips of her performances have gone viral in a big way over the past few weeks. Suddenly, everyone was saying “gang gang, mmm, ice cream so good.” It was such a big internet-thing that both the NY Times and Washington Post have done articles about the strange phenomenon and what exactly is going on here. Here’s an explanation for the people who had no f–king clue what was happening, and that includes me: TikTok performers are making money from “tips” in which they act as Non Player Characters (NPCs).

It’s a new trend that has popped up on the internet over the past few months: live-streaming yourself on TikTok while saying strange phrases robotically. During the streams, fans pay to leave the creators monetary tips, and as a tip shows up as an icon in the comments, it prompts the creator to respond. For instance, when you pay for a tip and leave an ice cream cone icon, she says, “Ice cream so good,” and if you pay for a “GG” icon, she says, “Gang gang.” Her robotic tone imitates something called an NPC, or non-playable character, in video games.

In video games, non-playable characters are people whom your character encounters. They’re often programmed to simulate some aspect of everyday life. NPCs are shopkeepers, bystanders, maybe even presidents. They can be window dressing, or sometimes they’re really important. For example, in a Legend of Zelda video game, you don’t play as the titular Princess Zelda; you play as the hero Link, who can talk with Zelda. Thus, Zelda is an NPC. They’re like the robots in the HBO show “Westworld,” created to fulfill an immersive, make-believe fantasy. NPCs often have repetitive speech, programmed to say a few scripted lines.

These streamers who imitate NPCs are often seen bouncing up and down, making repeated movements for certain prompts, such as slurping up ice cream on command. This body movement is meant to imitate NPCs’ “idle animation.” In real life, humans don’t often stand perfectly still, so video game NPCs often fidget, bounce or otherwise make any slight body motions. That also helps indicate that they’re not just a digital mannequin; they are objects players can interact with. When you view these streamers, you’re like a “player” of the game, activating the NPC by tipping them money.

[From WaPo]

Do you get it? I finally got it as I read this piece. WaPo also discussed whether this is a fetish and whether this would be considered sex work. It’s in the eye of the beholder, I guess – I’m sure some people get off to it, but from what I’ve seen, these NPC performers are not actually doing anything “sexual” in nature. It’s just “attractive women acting like robots for money online.”

For Pinkydoll in particular – and she’s apparently one of the most famous and popular NPC streamers – she’s making up to $7000 a day, depending on how many hours she’s on. I was struggling with her accent, because she drops the NPC character a few times in her live stream – apparently, she lives in Montreal?

😕 i’ve never been more confused in my entire life dawg……

— God’s Child (@marlolifts) July 12, 2023

PINKYDOLL BREAKING CHARACTER TELLING HER SON SHES GONNA SELL THE DOG?? 😭 IM DYING

— Mars (@GoatKiddo) July 18, 2023

Screencap from Pinkydoll’s TikTok.