A detail in a family’s holiday card has sparked an online debate, leaving many parents divided over its humor.
Amanda Cooper, a travel and fashion influencer with over 14,000 Instagram followers, likely didn’t anticipate the backlash when she shared the unconventional photo on social media.
In a TikTok video posted on December 6, Cooper showcased a close-up of the family photo, which revealed a subtle prank she had orchestrated.
Despite King’s dedication to creating flawless holiday cards, she took the joke in stride.
“I thought it was absolutely hilarious,” she said.
However, the internet was far more critical of the prank.
The TikTok video quickly went viral, amassing over 2.4 million views and generating hundreds of comments.
Some viewers deemed the prank ‘disrespectful’ and ‘sad,’ with one commenter writing: “This would make me so sad.”
A few photographers also chimed in, lamenting the additional editing work required to remove the gestures.
On Instagram, others criticized the joke’s originality, with one user stating: “You came off like a bunch of jerks on the internet! Congratulations.”
Another commenter expressed personal pain, noting, “I’ve never had a family portrait taken in my life. This hurts as someone who doesn’t have a ‘family.’”
Still, many fans praised Cooper’s humor and creativity.
One supporter commented, ‘This is so funny and justified,’ while another envisioned the tradition continuing in the future, saying: “I cannot wait for when the kids are older and get in on this tradition too!”
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In the image, her siblings discreetly pointed their middle fingers at the camera, posing alongside their children.
The prank was a departure from their usual tradition of perfectly coordinated family photo shoots, organized annually by their mother, Melynda King.
According to Cooper, the idea for the prank came from her desire to ‘shake things up’ and surprise her mom.
Speaking with Today, she explained how she texted her siblings in a group chat, proposing the idea and using the word ‘hippopotamus’ as a code to cue the prank just before the photo was taken.
“So right before the middle finger picture, I called out, ‘Everyone say, I want a hippopotamus for Christmas!’” Cooper shared.
