Tiffany Haddish "But The Parasites In Me Want The Candy" — Side-by-side interview screenshots of Tiffany Haddish with captions 'I don't want to eat candy, but

Tiffany Haddish "But The Parasites In Me Want The Candy"

2023catchphraseclassic

Published October 23, 2026

During a July 2023 IGN press junket for Haunted Mansion, Tiffany Haddish joked that she personally did not want candy or liquor, but the parasites inside her did1. The bit sat quietly for months before TikTokers rediscovered the audio in April 2024 and turned it into a sound trend for confessing impulsive cravings, late-night snacking and other urges blamed on an imagined inner freeloader34.

tiktok sound trends celebrity reaction memes delayed virality memes lip sync memes self deprecating memes

Overview

Posts built on the sound usually open with the user doing something harmless, then cut to a reveal where the Haddish audio plays as justification for a less flattering urge: raiding the pantry at 2 a.m., staring directly at the solar eclipse, or buying another bottle of wine on a weekday46. Creators lip-sync the two matched clauses, swapping candy and liquor for whatever specific vice fits the video, which keeps the bit recognizable while opening it up to endless personal spins37.

Tonally, the sound functions as a self-deprecating shrug. The joke pins blame on a fictional parasite rather than the person on camera, so users can admit to impulsive habits without actually taking ownership of them5. That framing made it a natural fit for food, dating, drinking and shopping confessions, with the audio often paired with text overlays like "me telling myself I didn't need another iced coffee."2

Origin & Background

Platform
TikTok (IGN interview, 2023) / TikTok (viral sound, 2024)
Creator
Tiffany Haddish
Date
2023

On July 27th, 2023, IGN's official TikTok account posted a short clip from its Haunted Mansion press junket interview with Tiffany Haddish and Jamie Lee Curtis1. In the clip, Haddish deadpans, "I don't want candy, but the parasites in me want candy. I don't want liquor, but the parasites in me want liquor," while Curtis reacts next to her1. The IGN upload gathered over 6 million plays and 900,000 likes over the following ten months, though it did not immediately generate derivative content2.

TikToker @moe.donut reposted the same interview clip on September 9th, 2023, and the audio from that reupload became the version other creators later attached to their own videos2. Haddish herself is the source of the line; IGN captured and distributed it, and @moe.donut's repost is what circulated as the trending sound.

How It Spread

The sound sat dormant for about eight months after IGN's upload before TikTok picked it up in early April 2024. On April 3rd, 2024, @dimmad0mesflubbernuggets posted one of the earliest videos set to the clip, and it collected over 6 million plays and 1.3 million likes inside a week3. The same day, @ansley..martin posted another early entry using the audio that reached more than 1 million plays and 390,000 likes in a week4.

Momentum built quickly. On April 8th, 2024, @itsyaboysunday22 uploaded a video that pulled over 6 million plays and 1 million likes within two days5. Also on April 8th, @daniellevoit used the sound in a post about wanting to stare at the solar eclipse against medical advice, which drew more than 4 million plays and 1 million likes in two days6. Other April 2024 entries from accounts like @swaggiest_swagster, @ethannku and @laurenreising applied the same template to snack cravings and dating habits78.

Timeline

2023-07-27

IGN's TikTok posts the Haunted Mansion junket clip where Tiffany Haddish jokes about parasites wanting candy and liquor[1].

2023-09-09

TikToker @moe.donut reposts the clip; this reupload becomes the sound later used in derivatives[2].

2024-04-03

@dimmad0mesflubbernuggets and @ansley..martin post the earliest known TikTok videos set to the sound[3][4].

2024-04-08

@itsyaboysunday22 and @daniellevoit's videos using the audio each cross 1 million likes within two days[5][6].

2024-04

Lip-dubs and skit videos from accounts like @laurenreising and @euphoric.experience push the sound into wider rotation[7][9].

How to Use This Meme

Typical posts show the user in a wholesome setup, cut on the beat where Haddish begins the "but the parasites in me" line, then reveal the actual craving the person is giving in to34. Captions commonly swap "candy" for a specific temptation, such as a snack, a bad text, or a questionable late-night purchase6. Users often lip-sync the full two-clause structure to preserve the rhythm of the original joke.

Frequently Asked Questions