He’s a corn-ivore!
7-year-old Tariq just became South Dakota’s official corn-bassador, TheGrio reports.
This young, Black king is cooking up joy with one simple ingredient: corn! Tariq, also known as “Corn Kid,” became a viral sensation on TikTok after a recent interview with YouTube channel, Recess Therapy. He’s gained over 2 million likes on TikTok and almost 4 million views on YouTube.
“For me, I really like corn. When I tried it with butter, everything changed,” Tariq responded when asked about his love for the vegetable. Turns out “the knobs” are his favorite part! Not only did his interview with Recess Therapy prove that he was funny, it’s clear that he’s also a sweetheart. When asked if he thinks everyone should be eating corn, he replied, “No, not everyone has to like it for it to be the best, everyone just has to try it.”
The young corn-lover immediately went viral. He became so famous that a song entitled, “It’s Corn!” was produced and over 800,000 new TikTok videos were made with the sound; there’s even a new hashtag: #CornTok.
Tariq, whose last name is hidden for privacy reasons, recently felt his celebrity status when Governor Kristi Noem named September 3rd “Official Corn-bassador Tariq Day.” South Dakota is one of the largest producers of corn in the nation; the new ambassador and his family traveled from New York to make an appearance at South Dakota’s “Corn Palace,” the tourist attraction and multi-purpose facility where Tariq was honored as the Corn-bassador. “I must be dreaming,” Tariq said when he and his family arrived. “I have to pinch myself!” he added. He was able to tour the building and hang out with Cornelius, the giant ear of corn mascot.
“As part of naming Tariq the Corn-bassador, we wanted Tariq and his family to experience a combination of South Dakota’s two largest industries, tourism and agriculture,” Katlyn Svendsen of the South Dakota Department of Tourism said in an interview with NPR.
He’s racking up appearances with his recent attendance at Disney’s Pinocchio World Premiere. He had the chance to live out his dreams on the red carpet, do a number of interviews, and get a first look at Cynthia Ervio’s magic in the new movie. Even Chipotle featured him in their new ad!
Like Tariq said, “We can’t imagine a more beautiful thing.” This prince of corn deserves it!
Photo: Twitter/Governor Kristi Noem/Campaign US