The White Monster Effect — Split-screen meme contrasting a bearded man drinking black Monster energy drink with a boyish young man holding a white Monster

The White Monster Effect

2024viral videodeclining

Published November 13, 2026

The White Monster Effect, also called The Black Monster Effect, kicked off on TikTok in November 2024 when fitness influencers @davidcharlesbailey, @GHARILLA and @marcusbrownyeah drank a white Monster energy drink and quick-cut to a race swap with a friend. The joke became a short template for gym creators, and by late December variations included a dog swap from @engquistelias and a Yellow Monster edit from @zohairkhans.

fitness culture memes tiktok memes participatory video memes race and identity memes advertising memes

Overview

Clips in the format follow one short editing beat: a creator takes a long swig of a white or black can of Monster, then a quick cut swaps them with a friend whose skin tone matches the can's color1. The visual gag reads as both an energy drink parody and a transition trick, with most clips running under fifteen seconds and ending on the swapped friend grinning at the camera.

Fitness creators drove the early wave, leaning on gym aesthetics like workout gear, pre-lift hype, and bro-style chemistry between the swapped pair4. Later remixes played with the color coding past black and white, including a yellow can paired with an Asian friend3 and a version where the drinker changes into a different breed of dog2.

Origin & Background

Platform
TikTok
Creator
@davidcharlesbailey and @marcusbrownyeah
Date
2024

On November 21st, 2024, TikToker @davidcharlesbailey uploaded the clip that started the trend, with gym influencers @GHARILLA and @marcusbrownyeah performing the swap after a sip of white Monster1. Within a month the video reached more than 9 million plays and about 1 million likes, according to Know Your Meme's writeup4.

How It Spread

TikTok fitness circles ran with the idea through early December 2024. On December 4th, @engquistelias flipped the setup onto their dogs, drinking a white Monster and cutting to a different breed in their lap; the clip reached roughly 1.9 million plays and 359,000 likes over two weeks2. Follow-up swaps also appeared on the original account as @davidcharlesbailey tested new pairings with his fitness crew5.

A December 22nd, 2024 post by @zohairkhans introduced 'The Yellow Monster Effect,' pairing a yellow energy drink with a swap to an Asian friend and drawing about 247,000 plays and 29,000 likes in its first day3. Other TikTok creators joined in with their own color-coded takes through late December, keeping the race-swap joke in rotation across fitness and comedy feeds6.

Timeline

2024-11-21

@davidcharlesbailey uploads the earliest White Monster Effect clip featuring @GHARILLA and @marcusbrownyeah.

2024-12-04

@engquistelias posts a dog-swap version that reaches about 1.9 million plays.

2024-12-22

@zohairkhans posts 'The Yellow Monster Effect,' adding an Asian friend swap to the template.

How to Use This Meme

A typical edit opens on the creator holding a colored can of Monster, cuts on the drink motion, and lands on a friend of a different race or, in later versions, a different species. Fitness creators often shoot in gym mirrors or parking lots; the common convention is to let the swapped friend hold the empty can to seal the gag.

Frequently Asked Questions