Erling Haaland and MrBeast Recreate Viral AI Flinch Meme in Real Life
Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland teamed up with YouTuber MrBeast to recreate a viral AI-generated video showing Haaland flinching at his own reflection while eating noodles. The original clip, which circulated widely on social media, was a deepfake with Haaland's face swapped onto a Chinese entertainer. In the new video, Haaland performs the reaction himself, turning the AI meme into a real-life moment that quickly gained millions of views across social media platforms.
First-hand measurement across 2 sources
We measured how 2 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is positive (75/100). Lens Score 30/100.
Outlets measured: indianexpress, timesnow. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (75–75/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
timesnow broke this story on 22 Sept, 03:48 am. Other outlets followed.