“Hawk tuah.” A few weeks ago, these words—the sound, really—were nothing more than a Looney Tunes–a demeaning way to describe the act of selling saliva. How quickly things can change! A young woman named Hailey Welch became famous for her passionate interpretation and bold use of the phrase on camera, earning her the nickname Hawk Tuah Girl and capturing the attention of the entire country. (Or at least a large portion of the country’s online population.)
Since that fateful video, Welch has been swept up in a media firestorm—addressing a rumor on a popular podcast, performing alongside a country star, and selling tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise based on the phrase alone. It’s even gotten political, with Welch and her signature phrase becoming a symbol for the American right. All the controversy and clicks have led to Welch achieve representation with a professional management company as an independent individual.
So how did we get here? What does the future hold for Hawk Tuah Girl? What does “spitting on that thing” even mean? (Yeah, we won’t get into that.) Here’s everything you need to know about the internet’s latest viral phenomenon.
Where did it all begin?
TikTok, of course. The Hawk Tuah phenomenon began when Welch, a 21-year-old Tennessee native, was stopped on the street for a TikTok interview by the creative duo Tim and Dee TV. Result videotapesposted on June 11, shows content creators asking women in Nashville—the unofficial bachelor party capital of the world—the following question: “What move in bed drives men crazy every time?”
What was Welch’s reaction? “You have to give them a ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thing! You know what I mean?”
The delivery, the specificity, the rhythm—it all seemed to add up to more than the sum of its parts. Welch’s strong Southern drawl combined with her comedic timing and genuine dedication to the footage—she practically spitballed it all—made the moment stand out in a nearly 14-minute video. It quickly became the centerpiece of a independent TikTok clip at the time of publication has received 372,000 likes, 4.1 million views and thousands of comments, bookmarks, remixes and re-edits. And thus Hawk Tuah Girl was born.
Is there anything more to it?
Not really. Welch and her friend stayed for a longer, more in-depth interview with Tim and Dee TV, but it was that one little phrase that catapulted her to viral status. She basically made us say “hawk tuah.”
But why would she? as if any big problem
That’s actually a great question. Hawk Tuah Girl originally tracked down to become a mid-to-high-profile viral internet moment—on par with, or perhaps slightly overshadowing, recent viral sensations like The blacksmith or Tall coupleBut the internet’s mischievous whims, a little misinformation, and incredible timing have all come together to catapult Hawk Tuah Girl to new heights of viral fame.
First, the misinformation. Soon after Hawk Tuah went viral, the internet began spreading jokes about Welch and the supposed aftermath of her viral moment. A parody account on Facebook, Tippah County Tribunewrote a post claiming that Welch, who goes by “Hailey Wellington,” was a kindergarten teacher at Epstein Day School and was fired because of the video. The Tippah County Tribune wrote that the children were allegedly “spitting on each other and everything.” The fake story even included a fake statement from the fake Hailey Wellington, claiming that she planned to get revenge on the kindergarten and that she was holding a fundraiser in the parking lot of a tractor supply store to keep money for a lawyer. Ridiculous!
While “Epstein Day School” should have been enough to signal to any rational person that the account was probably fake, media literacy is in a terrible state. As such, rumor spread. Many publications, from Yahoo ARRIVE The period of India, attempted to clarify the truth surrounding this satirical tale, but the damage was done, contributing to the legend—and more importantly, the infamy—of Hawk Tuah Girl.
Finally, the real Hawk Tuah girl has gone on podcast Bri’s plan hasn’t been cut yet. to clear things up, revealing her real name and real job. (Welch said she worked at a spring factory in her hometown of Tennessee.) According to Welch, she was up at 2 a.m. to clock in for her shift at the factory when she first noticed she was becoming famous. She said she quit that job.
Good for her. But what’s so great about Welch’s timing?
She struck while the iron was hot! Welch has partnered with Tennessee-based apparel company Fathead Thread and quickly launched a product line tied to the viral moment. Within weeks of going viral, Fathead Threads was reported to be has sold over $65,000 in “Hawk Tuah” themed merchandise. The product includes a “Hawk Tuah ’24” hat for $32.78 each (or $50 for a signed hat—currently out of stock).
