Italian brainrot is characterized by absurd images or videos created by generative artificial intelligence. It typically features hybrids of animals with everyday objects, food, and weapons.[4] They are given Italianized names or use stereotypical cultural markers and are accompanied by AI-generated audio of an Italian man's narration, which is often nonsensical.[5] The names of these characters often have Italian suffixes, such as -ini or -ello.[6] These characters combine elements of surrealism, visual anxiety (uncanny valley) and internet irony, reflecting the post-ironic humor of Generation Z.[3]
The term brain rot was Oxford Word of the Year in 2024, and refers to the deteriorating effect on one's mental state when overconsuming "trivial or unchallenging content" online. It can also refer to the content itself.[7] Online users often use this label to acknowledge the ridiculousness of Italian brainrot, while recognising the growing amount of AI slop present online.[5] Fans have created various stories featuring characters from Italian brainrot,[5][8] forming a type of Internet folklore with overly dramatic storylines and voices.[9]
Origin
In October 2023, Internet users created various Italian memes about American actor and wrestler Dwayne Johnson in which he rhymes about absurd topics. In one video, Johnson would use the nonsense word "Tralalero tralala", and would later rhyme it with "smerdo pure nell'aldilà" ("I shit even in the afterlife"). The phrase would later be used to create the basis of Italian brainrot.[10]
Although the exact origin of Italian brainrot is hard to pinpoint, the character Tralalero Tralala is widely considered to be the first example of the trend.[5][11] The creation of the character is often attributed to the TikTok user @eZburger401, who reportedly posted a video featuring the character in January 2025. The user was banned after posting, potentially due to its accompanying audio containing profanity.[12][13] Later, user @elchino1246 posted a video using Tralalero Tralala's audio, accompanied with an image of a shark mixed with a pigeon.[11] Lastly, on 13 January 2025, user @amoamimandy.1a created a now deleted post using the audio, instead using an AI-generated image of a shark with shoes. This video gained 7 million views.[12]
Reception
The likenesses of some Italian brainrot characters have been used to sell toys and non-fungible tokens,[10] as well as being the centerpiece of the popular Roblox game Steal a Brainrot.[14] Italian brainrot also inspired a variety of volatile meme coins, such as "Italianrot", which was launched in March 2025.[15][16] Italian brainrot gained notoriety in many regions such as the United States, South Korea, and Germany.[13] Various brands have replicated the memes for use in marketing content on social media.[8][13] Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán released a TikTok video where a 3D model of Tung Tung Tung Sahur is seen dancing in a government meeting.[17] In Italy, several newsstands began selling "Skifidol Italian Brainrot Trading Card Games", inspired by the memes and commercialized for a younger audience.[18] The release led to a noticeable rise in Gen Alpha consumers, with L'Espresso comparing the surge to the popularity of Garbage Pail Kids cards during their Italian debut.[19]
Some of the content of Tralalero Tralala and Bombardiro Crocodilo memes has been described as "problematic".[25] Voiceovers of Tralalero Tralala include blasphemies directed at both the Judaeo-Christian God and Allah (mentioned as two distinct entities) in Italian.[a] Some Muslim users have concluded that the videos are haram. Some Italian users have pointed out that blasphemy is often used as a filler word in Italian, and have stated that the videos had no anti-religious and Islamophobic intent.[25] Additionally, Bombardiro Crocodilo has been criticized for making light of the Gaza genocide, since some videos using his Italian narration describe the character performing bombing raids in Palestine.[5][25] This has caused concerns regarding casual cruelty and desensitization.[9] The full narration is as follows:
Translation: Bombardiro Crocodilo, a fucking[sic] flying alligator who drops bombs on children in Gaza and Palestine. He doesn't believe in Allah and loves bombs. He feeds on your mother's spirit, and if you've translated everything up to this point, you're a whore.[27]
Original script (Italian):Bombardiro Crocodilo, un fottuto alligatore volante, che vola e bombarda i bambini a Gaza e in Palestina. Non crede in Allah, e ama le bombe. Si nutre dello spirito di tua madre. E se hai tradotto tutto fino a questo punto, sei una puttana[27]
See also
Shitposting– Intentionally posting poor-quality social media posts
Skibidi Toilet–2020s webseries also known for its surreal humor
YouTube Poop–Web video genre also known for surreal humor
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Media related to Italian brainrot at Wikimedia Commons
The dictionary definition of Italian brainrot at Wiktionary
Quotations related to Italian brainrot at Wikiquote
