Celebrations of Valentine's Day have been synonymous with material goods and public displays of affection for generations. The holiday seems to invite couples to spend just as much energy broadcasting their acts of love as feeling that intimacy in the first place.
With social media exploding over the past fifteen years, that very public aspect of Valentine's Day has only been amplified. On February 14, feeds across the internet are populated by an onslaught of chocolate hearts and enviable picnics, all captured through some rosy photo filter.
But this year, one TikTok user found a way to cut through the noise of chocolate hearts and enviable picnics.
In a wonderful moment of satire, she fused Valentine's Day and social media in the very worst way possible—by cutting out images of all the Instagram women her boyfriend has "liked" and putting them on wooden sticks.
Her creation came together like some pop up garden of guilty pleasure.
@gr93la What did you gets get your man for Valentine's Day ?😁 #fyp #valentinesday #messytiktok #couplegoals #crazy #fypシ
♬ Bust Your Windows - Glee Cast
People who saw her gift were absolutely in stitches.
To them, this was peak pettiness—in the best way.
Nat/TikTok
Maria/TikTok
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paige/TikTok
Jacob/TikTok
RingRico/TikTok
Others vowed to replicate the gift to celebrate V-Day with their own partners.
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tiana/TikTok
Jazmita/TikTok
But a few didn't find the pettiness so endearing.
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Holy little nun/TikTok
Megan white/TikTok
Later on, she posted a video of herself handing the tongue in cheek gift to her partner.
His reaction was the perfect combination of surprised and bewildered.
@gr93la I have a sense of humor with my man! I don't know about y'all but I thought this was the perfect gift 🤣 He loved it 😘 #gorgeousgirls #fyp #joke
♬ original sound - Gloria
Viewers of the follow up video felt it only extended the hilarity.
They heaped praise on the couple's solid sense of humor as a great sign.
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Sam Cahn/TikTok
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But some couldn't help but note what he was doing just before the unveiling.
Their imaginations all went to the same place.
TonyTheDon/TikTok
Kachina Provonche/TikTok
JessicaLynn Logan/TikTok
Big thanks to this couple for breaking up the usual monotony of the big day as seen on social media.