How Indonesia Accidentally Won the Internet in 2025

Two viral memes from Indonesia suggest a change in the direction of the arrow of global pop culture.

- Hariz Baharudin

Halfway across the world, a Canadian graphic artist has turned an Indonesian character from the "Italian Brainrot" universe into a global internet spectacle.

Mark Cannataro's TikTok videos of Tung Tung Tung Sahur – a caricature of the Indonesian wooden drum used in chants calling Muslims to their pre-dawn meal during Ramadan – have racked up nearly half a billion views.

It's an indication of how a niche Generation Alpha internet meme trend dominated by bizarre, artificial intelligence-generated cartoonish characters with outlandish names is influencing broader popular culture.

It's also having an effect on the world of music and entertainment. An anime-inspired music video featuring the same creature and its sahur chant has soared past 80 million views in just three months. Dutch DJ duo W&W have also remixed the chant into rave-style tracks drawing millions of plays.

And it's a sign of the growing cultural heft of one particular South-east Asian country – Indonesia. The origins of Tung Tung Tung Sahur go back to February 2025 when TikTok creator @noxaasht posted the first known AI-generated version, featuring a wooden figure mimicking the familiar sahur drumming rhythm.

The character has since taken on a life of its own in the Italian Brainrot meme universe, becoming what many see as its most famous character and even inspired a meme token launched by the creator.

Passing as the fad may eventually prove to be, it has spawned lines of merchandise from plushies to figurines of Tung Tung Tung Sahur now sold worldwide – on Shopee in Singapore, in toy shops in Tokyo, and on craft marketplaces like Etsy. On TikTok, one parent said jokingly beneath a clip of a child unwrapping the toy: "My son has been non-stop asking me for a Tung Tung Tung Sahur toy."