A funny moment between a mime at SeaWorld and a young dad visiting the park with his family went viral for more than a few reasons. According to a video clip that was later shared on TikTok, the dad was apparently walking through the Orlando, Florida, theme park when the mime stopped him in his tracks and insisted that he give his wife a hand with her diaper bag. But although the exchange was brief and lighthearted, it's sparked some interesting conversations in the comments section, where people seem to have a lot of different perspectives on it.
According to the 'Today' show, the video features Nick and Michelle Tzenevrakis
The couple had traveled to SeaWorld with their 13-month-old daughter, Kalliope, in April when they happened to be captured on camera by Ernest Palomo, a fellow park guest who was filming on his phone.
In the clip, the Tzenevrakis family appear to be walking toward their seats when they pass by a mime who is standing in front of a large water tank. Seconds later, he taps Michelle on the shoulder and then begins gesturing grandly toward her husband to see if the two are together.
Naturally, they both nod yes
But that's when the mime does something a bit unexpected …
@fiestascondjnova I was on vacation at SeaWorld in Orlando Florida and this happened. #FYP ♬ original sound – Ernest
You see, as the couple was walking over to their seats, the mime noticed that Michelle was holding Kalliope in her arms, along with a heavy diaper bag. But as for her husband, Nick, who was walking several paces behind her? He appeared to be holding nothing.
That's when the mime makes it known that he is NOT OK with this
And so, using nothing but gestures and facial expressions, he stops the couple in their tracks and urges Nick to take the diaper bag off his wife's shoulder and give her a hand.
The entire exchange lasts only a matter of seconds, but it's clear from the video footage that it caught a lot of people's attention. In fact, as soon as Nick takes the diaper bag from his wife and awkwardly chuckles, the entire crowd erupts in laughter.
The video clip eventually made its way to TikTok
Many people who commented on the post found the whole thing to be pretty funny — and highly relatable.
"This is me and my husband!" one woman commented. "We found it hilarious! Wasn’t sure what the mime was doing at first — we were confused!"
"They scream, I screamed!" added someone else. "I am hollering on my porch right now!"
At the same time, some people found the video to be anything BUT humorous
"We need more of those mimes walking the streets teaching lessons…," one person wrote.
"He’s so embarrassed," said someone else. "He better have learned."
"Oh they fought in the minivan after this…," another person added.
In fact, a lot of people felt the clip was pretty telling, highlighting an inequity that has existed between mothers and fathers for centuries.
"[The mime] said SOOO much without saying a single word," one person wrote.
"No but really…," another woman wrote. "They would let us carry the whole world on our backs and watch us struggle."
As a result, the new dad was more or less dragged in the comments
"That should common sense buddy," one person snapped.
"My girl don't touch bags when I'm around," said someone else.
"I see that a lot … mothers carrying baby and bag, and dads not carrying anything," yet another person added.
Not everyone was trying to pile on him, though
After all, as many people pointed out, the video really only shows a brief glimpse into the couple's life — and who's to say this dad doesn't regularly share the load?
"How are y'all really just dragging this man you don't even know what happened?" one person asked in the comments.
"This is completely out of context," another person said. "What if he offered to carry it and she said no, what if he had been carrying the bag and baby all day?"
"Poor guy, he could be a really good dad but he doesn’t carry a bag one time and now he gets humiliated online," added someone else. "I really feel for him."
Speaking with 'Today,' the couple tried to clarify what really happened
“That mime totally caught me off-guard,” Nick, 28, told the outlet. “At that moment, I was in a total daze. I was really hungry and my feet were hurting me."
According to his wife, that really was just a brief glimpse into their day, and those 5–10 seconds didn't tell the whole story. In reality, Nick had been pushing the stroller around and tending to Kalliope on and off all day. In her opinion, they were very much sharing the load, but at that particular moment, he was taking a break.
“Nick is the greatest father and I want to make sure that people know that,” said Michelle. “He does so much for us. He’s just awesome in every way.”
