The Best TikToks of 2024, According to Julie Klausner

Despite being a Jewish human woman on the internet for another year, I’ve really enjoyed many of the videos TikTok has lobbed at me since January. And while I’d be a fool to guess what content categories the possibly endangered app’s copyrighted algorithm has designated as “up my alley,” I’ve done my best to identify themes and commonalities among my favorite videos from 2024. Here is what TikTok and I have loosely agreed are content categories that really tickle my funny bone and what I’ve randomly chosen as the best of each genre.

Note: Not all of these TikToks were published in 2024. They were just enjoyed by me in 2024.

Another note: I hope none of these creators are sex pests or otherwise problematic. I didn’t do a deep dive!

Adults Having None of it

As a cranky adult myself, I cherish every scowl, eye roll, gripe, snide remark, and pent-up outburst from folks comfortable enough in our crêpe-y skin to say “Absolutely not” to things from which younger people reap joy. And while these gals reluctantly posing for a photo are strong contenders for queens of the category, this gentleman entered the race strong with his own sartorial commentary. That said, they must concede the crown to the star of this video, subtitled “my Grandma hates Disneyland.” This beautiful bubbe is able to convey her contempt for a Star Wars ride in “the Happiest Place on Earth” without having to utter a single word. May God protect Grandma from the Magic Kingdom’s sunny darkness.

Adults Playing Along

Oddly enough, something that pairs nicely with the theme of grown-ups saying “No way” is grown-ups saying “Yes, please!” Furthermore, it’s a known fact that when a child wants to play make-believe, there is no better collaborator than an adult who’s overcommitted to the bit. Consider this lady’s “grocery-store customer” character or this gentleman’s “patient who’s feeling rather unwell.”

Then, there’s the genre of “adult children recruit their parents into doing a trend.” The “behind the scenes” footage of this dapper fellow obliviously dance-modeling some of his more colorful ’fits for his TikTok-literate daughter is joyful and frantic. But nothing holds a candle to the ultimate execution of the “One thing about me …” meme. Buckle up, folks: A mother-and-daughter duo have a story to tell about their live-in nurse named Bridget.

Animals Being Bastards

A dog being naughty is only as fun as the reaction of their hapless owner. Buster the yellow Lab is a thicc fella who can stop, but will not stop, gleefully belly flopping into his swimming pool despite the increasingly helpless and desperately profane protestations of his mother. It’s a lot of fun, and I never get sick of his splashing around like a clown on the town.

Gracing a subset of this category are fantastic (and perfectly okay) dogs who’ve evoked blood-curdling screams from their human companions when they attack their own birthday cakes prematurely, chomping lit candles in the process. In the battle of Great Dane versus Cupcake, the winner is us.

And let us not forsake cattitude! These tyrannous tabbies don’t understand that canning is not exclusively for wet food. And you know how sometimes you have a bunch of lollipops in a vase but you need them taken out one by one and pushed onto the floor? Well, this cat will get you where you need to go.

Finally, if you thirst for “nuisance content” from a more exotic critter, Neil the seal is no stranger to animal lovers who spend time online. Neil is a southern elephant seal in Tasmania who enjoys knocking over traffic cones, destroying fences, and blocking traffic. Even without legs and feet, he gets around more than I do.

But the winner of this category is this dog named Maple, whose successful beach-fishing expedition resulted in an “Oh, shit” from her owner.

Well, Look Who’s Stolen the Show

Even though I am a childless cat lady with a copy of the SCUM Manifesto where my heart should be, I, heroically, still hold space for the bright shining stars of tomorrow. The nominees for this category: this kid absolutely demolishing the role of Dr. Orin Scrivello in a production of Little Shop, this cutie pie hoovering up all the crumbs on the stage of her dance recital, this incredible Edna Turnblad, this giddy bee pushing through the loss of a shoe to show the crowd what star power actually looks like, and this breakout playing Coach Van Buren in Damn Yankees showing the world how a charm song is done. But the winner is this absolute gem of a child who placed second (?!) in his Scottish theater company’s talent show. His rendition of Olaf’s “In Summer” from Frozen is so fearlessly committed, so masterfully executed both in novel approach and classical form alike, I must tip my hat to him and then give him the hat so he can dance with it!

Ellie the Elephant

My adoration for the 2024 WNBA Champions, the New York Liberty, began with an interest in, then an affection for, and finally a full-throated obsession with their beguiling, stylish, confident, talented, beautiful, hilarious mascot, Ellie the Elephant. Prior to 2024, the only Sports I knew about was the Huey Lewis album Patrick Bateman weighed in on. But Big Ellie’s videos were a gateway drug into the New York Liberty’s second-to-none social-media presence, and now I’m a Liberty fanatic. The audio from the season’s winning moment will forever bring happy tears to my eyes, resonating like a prayer. I know it by heart: “Carleton lobs it in, taken away by Fiebich, off to Stewart. Twenty-eight years in the making, the New York Liberty are WNBA champions! The original franchise has its very first title!”

And it all started with a glamorous elephant.

Any of Ellie’s videos could’ve won this category, from her giving Eric Adams her purse to hold after the Liberty got their ticker-tape parade to her doing one of her many red-carpet appearances, in this case alongside Shana Stephenson, the Liberty’s brilliant chief brand officer who is the visionary behind their extraordinary branding and, alongside dynamo CEO Keia Clarke, can take credit for Ellie’s origin. I could have chosen one from Ellie’s “GRWM” series, like the one in which she walks you through waking up at Barclays before celebrating her birthday. There’s also her incredible halftime tribute to Missy Elliott, or one of her ELLIE-vate tutorials. But the Ellie video that earns the Tiffany & Co. trophy is the one in which the best mascot of all time narrates her First Elephant experience at the winning game of the record-breaking WNBA Finals. Enjoy her account of that magical night, from dancing in the stands with fans to collapsing on the floor while confetti rained down. “And then we WON. And then WE WON.” Ellie wasn’t the only one on the floor that night.

Nicolas Cage

For me, media appearances from Nicolas Cage playing the role of “Nicolas Cage doing media appearances” mimic the high that you get when sugar seeps into your Cap’n Crunch–ravaged, bloody hard palate. In the service of promoting his latest films, Longlegs and Dream Scenario, Cage sat down with 60 Minutes, demonstrated his helium voice to Kelly Clarkson, and, most important, walked the red carpet at the Golden Globes only to end up face-to-face with two adorable kids from the Recess Therapy series who were at the award show interviewing celebrities. All of the TikTok videos from the “Recess Therapy goes to the Golden Globes” series are terrific — I especially love the J.Lo, Issa Rae, Jack Black, and Oprah ones — but Nic shines with these two if only because he is trying his darnedest to keep things upbeat and kid-friendly, but they keep making it dark. What I would do for a buddy film starring this trio!

Knott’s Berry Farm Snoopy

I like to know as little as possible about the live shows that go on at Knott’s Berry Farm; I just really enjoy watching clips completely out of context, especially when those clips involve somebody in a Snoopy costume. Whether Snoopy is goose-stepping down a stairwell in a woman’s blazer from Talbots’ holiday collection, clearly making up a dance as he goes along to a seasonal parody of “Mr. Sandman,” or politely ignoring Peppermint Patty’s wardrobe malfunction, one thing’s for sure: The list of things Charles Schulz said “no” to when licensing out his Peanuts characters must be pretty small. But what’s not small is the joy that this clip brings me, in which Snoopy does an incredible impression of Prince before Lucy comes in and ruins everything. And the second clip, the best in this category, is part of a performance from a duo billed as “the Blooz Beagles,” featuring Knott’s Berry Farm Snoopy and his brother, Spike, performing as Jake and Elwood. I must confess: I’ve never really “gotten” The Blues Brothers? That movie always just seemed like an excuse to crash a bunch of police cars into each other. That said, I really, really love the Blooz Beagles. Could a House of Blooz be next? Blooz Beagles 2000? I’m all in!

Co-workers and Roommates

Part of TikTok’s appeal comes not merely from its Kreskin (RIP)–like ability to know exactly what you want and who you are: Because its rise seemed to coincide with the pandemic, I imagine some of its most agreeable offerings either approximate or idealize the day-to-day camaraderie we yearned for in isolation. This fellow has a series about his “unhinged work bestie,” Mia, who seems like a lot of fun. Here she is, late to work but holding a thing of potato soup, so you can’t be mad. This video features an office worker who, while catching up with her phone and a snack at her desk, responds to her colleague’s question in a way I find to be both honest and unexpected. And finally, meet Mel: She has a fun, prop-based solution to feeling judged in her workplace. The jury is in!

Roommates are also people you see every day who keep you company, and humanity is a nice thing to be reminded of when you’re scrolling endlessly, wondering why you feel more and more isolated as you seek connectivity from a fundamentally detached place of trancelike passivity. This savvy gal, for example, has learned to play the video of Fergie doing cartwheels on the Today show in order to get her roommate to stop whatever she’s doing to come and watch it. Suck it, Pavlov!

The winner in this category features a student at the University of Missouri who says not to get a random roommate. But then, as though she is majoring in Mixed Messages, she pans over to a funny weirdo who was clearly designed in a laboratory by a professor who straddles the worlds of genius and madness.

Things Pets Have Told Animal Communicators

These make me laugh, cry, and, as somebody who loves animals but doesn’t “believe in woo-woo stuff,” question everything I think I know. Most of these lessons from sessions with animal communicators are in slideshow form set to emotionally ravaging music; all seem to capture exactly what a pet would say and how, and yet none of it is entirely predictable. You don’t have to believe every word these folks translate from their clients, but I’ll tell you right now that I would bet my last cent on the following: Everything is meant for George, Juno is doing the best she can, Doug the Pug deserves more Lambys, Jerome wants a pajama party, and Tucker, our winner, is “oh so happy” to be “king of the ship.”

Gen-Xers Dancing

I’m well aware that, as a woman in her mid-40s, I’m not TikTok’s ideal target audience. But then I see these fabulous women dancing to “Rock Steady,” by the Whispers, or this duo flawlessly executing the dance they did at their 1989 homecoming to “It Takes Two,” by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, and I feel like I’m in the crosshairs of what this platform can do for folks who need a portal to the nice things we remember from the years before our lower backs hurt all the time. The homecoming duo wins this category, but I’m actively fielding nominations on a rolling basis for the best interpretations of “Push It,” “Bust a Move,” and “Come On Eileen.”

An honorable mention that’s loosely “This Category Adjacent” goes to the nearly my age Jason Ritter, whose guileless, goofy, and oddly graceful dancing to the theme of the original Matlock primed me for the reboot on which he co-stars with the divine Kathy Bates. Also: Last I checked, he had a mullet and a kitten? Dopamine ahoy!

Finally, here are ten additional TikToks I liked in 2024 that don’t really belong to any category. I enjoyed them, and I hope you will too!

Tom Bergeron’s Parents Disclose That Tom Used to Cold-Call the Three Stooges When He Was a Teenager

Hulk Child Makes Another Child Cry

Coloring-Book Surprise: Appropriate?

Brit Points Out When Groceries Are Too Expensive

Tootsie Roll Office Chaos

Al Yankovic “Helps” His Daughter With Her College-Radio Show

The Absolutely Adorable USA Women’s National Rugby Sevens Team Pick Their Letterboxd Four Favorites, and One of Them Chooses “All the Saw Movies” As Her First Pick

Sleep Talker “Billy Sleeptokker” Cracks Himself Up in the Middle of a Dream About Best Buy

Dancing Sister Doesn’t Like Men in Her Personal Space

Andrew Lloyd Webber Tries Peanut Butter for the First Time, Doesn’t Care for It