We’ll ruin the suspense by telling you right away that “AS,” when used in TikTok content, refers to the cable TV network Adult Swim.
The abbreviation makes sense, of course, but there’s a much more intriguing question than “What does AS mean?”
Why have “AS videos” trended regularly on the social media platform?
Why Adult Swim Is Special to Many TikTok Users
Adult Swim was launched in 2001. It was a programming attempt to best utilize the nighttime and overnight hours of the popular Cartoon Network, when most children are in bed. AS features adult-oriented shows, mostly animated ones.
The network’s programming is a mixture of reruns and original series.
Animated TV shows like Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and Futurama have “second homes” on Adult Swim, and the network has had its own breakout hits like Robot Chicken, Rick and Morty, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Some live-action shows have been featured, including The Eric Andre Show, Children’s Hospital, and Black Jesus. Anime blocks run on AS as well.
From the start, commercial breaks and breaks between shows on Adult Swim have included short, original “bumpers” (sometimes called “bumps”) that run five to 15 seconds in length. The content of most bumpers ranges from slyly funny to out-of-place or downright weird.
The programs and bumpers are comedic and have one important thing in common: attitude. There are large measures of satire, parody, wit, surrealism, snark, and/or shock, all targeted at adults but skewing primarily younger.
Adult Swim has suffered ratings drops in recent years, largely due to the migration of TV audiences from cable to online platforms. Even so, AS has almost always been a top-five network among Gen Z and millennial (and more recently, Gen A) viewers.
What Does Adult Swim Have to Do with TikTok?
If the terms “Gen A,” “Gen Z,” and “millennial” seem important, they are. Those are the same audiences that dominate TikTok. More than half of TikTok users are Gen Z, and the other two demographic groups make up most of the rest.
In short, there’s a huge crossover between Adult Swim and TikTok audiences.
Viewers may be attracted by the shows on Adult Swim, but they’ve been intrigued by the network’s bumpers for years — and that’s the reason that “AS” regularly trends on TikTok. Users post TikTok videos showing off their attempts to mimic Adult Swim’s creative bumpers — and many come very close to capturing the snarky, weird, or cool vibe of AS bumps.
The network has noticed, too. Adult Swim regularly responds on TikTok to users creating their versions of AS bumpers, with messages like “We’ve been talking to you like this for a long time. It’s nice to see you talking back to us. Let’s keep it going.”
The AS trend on TikTok is a great example of how mainstream and social media can intersect, to the benefit of both.
About the Author
Peter Hasselworth is a contributor at iDigic, sharing valuable insights about Instagram growth and social media marketing strategies.