We're only three days into 2019, and there's already a bizarre (and frankly, idiotic) challenge taking over the web. It's called the #BirdBoxChallenge, and it's exactly what you think it is.
Thanks to the success of Netflix's new Sandra Bullock-billed film, Bird Box — in which the characters have to wear blindfolds to survive — viewers have taken it upon themselves to wear blindfolds while they do everyday tasks. Some challenge participants have taken it up a notch, though. There are people who tried going down flights of stairs and driving hoverboards! And for what? Clout? A couple thousand likes and retweets? I think I'd rather LIVE than momentarily attract the attention of strangers on the internet, thank you very much.
I mean, did society learn anything from the infamous Pokemon Go debacle of 2016? People have died while participating in challenges that don't hold any weight and are forgotten the second the next big meme arrives. Sigh.
Don't even get me started on last year's #InMyFeelingsChallenge. People jumped out of moving cars on the damn freeway to do a few dance moves. Some even went as far as climbing over a bridge to do it. We're totally not talking about you, Will Smith.
The popularity of the #BirdBoxChallenge prompted Netflix to take action and warn participants to play with caution. The site doesn't want viewers to end up in the hospital, and yeah, valid.
Netflix is no stranger to subscribers doing ridiculous things for clout, so it's commendable that the site issued an early warning. It's only a matter of time until people paint their car windows black and rely on their navigational systems to drive. We hope it never happens, but it's not unlikely.
As viewers know, the film's monsters are never pictured. When the movie's characters look at them, their eyes go hazy and they immediately die by suicide. There are many theories on what the monsters are and why they drive people to die. As Zimbio reported in late December, Bullock described the monsters' appearance in an interview with Bloody Disgusting, and it was actually hilarious.
"It was a green man with a horrific baby face," Bullock revealed. "It was snake-like, and I was like, 'I don’t want to see it when it first happens. Just bring it into the room. We’ll shoot the scene.' I turn and he’s like this [growling at me.] It's making me laugh. It was just a long fat baby."
There's one scene in which a character reveals several sketches of the monsters, but it also seems the monsters look different for everyone. So, who knows.
The film also stars Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson, Jacki Weaver, and Machine Gun Kelly.
Kids, should you choose to participate in the challenge, we urge you to, you know, not.
Boy and Girl would be so disappointed.
