Some viewers argue that the trend’s early absurdity had communal charm—an inside joke circulated among friends—while the Omek versions center on exploitation for virality. Critics point out the power imbalance when creators weaponize a meme against less media-savvy participants, who find themselves mocked or doxxed. The discourse splits: defenders cite freedom of expression and the internet’s appetite for chaotic humor; opponents call for accountability, consent, and the ethics of “content as collateral.”