But Why? - The Penguin Phenomenon

Photo from tenor.com

Earlier this year, a penguin from Werner Herzong’s 2007 documentary, Encounters of the End of the World took TikTok by storm and has become a popular object of many interpretations for viewers. It features a penguin suddenly walking away from its pack towards barren lands that stretch for miles on end. Viewers found it interesting because the behavior of the animal was unexpected and abnormal. The penguin was said to be embracing nihilism, which is defined as the rejection of all principles in the belief that life is meaningful. The clip from the documentary popped up on many Bellevue students’ feeds on TikTok and everyone has different opinions regarding it.

“It actually feels somewhat symbolic of burnout and just giving up,” junior Yutong Yu said.

The clip mainly went viral because people began to attach meanings to it that felt somewhat relatable. In the case of students, the penguin is believed to represent walking away from the burden of academic stress and everyday struggles. Burnout is a very common phenomenon that many students at Bellevue suffer from as the school year goes on, and by associating the penguin with burning out and getting tired, students find themselves relating to the animal. However, on the other hand, some students believe that there is a more logical or nature-based explanation for the penguin’s atypical behavior.

“I don’t think it is nihilistic, it is just nature being random,” sophomore Sophia Qu said.

Although the documentary itself does not specify or provide evidence for the penguin’s sudden change in behavior, scientific research suggests that disorientation in animals is quite common. Disorientation is caused due to neurological dysfunctions, often seen in aging animals which result in aimless wandering, confusion and atypical behavior.

Overall, the specific clip that went viral emphasizes the effect of walking away and it paints the sentiment of stepping out of the boundary’s individuals like students are forced to stay trapped in. Although the clip does not offer any real answers, it lingers because it reflects and relates to what people face in their everyday lives.