The Joys of SpoonTok
How a TikTok trend turned cutlery into connection and community-building (and a brand joined in a non-gross way).
What’s going on?
SpoonTok (and its sibling community, SpoonRating) has TikTokers submitting their favorite spoons for public judgement, often set to the sounds of Bach’s cello preludes. Audiences weigh in with formal approval, heartfelt praise, or theatrical rejection – there’s a bit of a script to it.
Beyond the performance, there’s a deeper layer: SpoonTok is deeply connected to neurodivergence as many spoons are “presented” specifically “to the ‘tism community.”
What’s driving it?
There are two layers at play. First, there’s Spoon Theory – taken from a 2003 essay by Christine Miserandino where spoons are a metaphor for the finite energy available to people with chronic illness. It resonated widely and became shorthand in disability and neurodivergent communities to describe their invisible limits: “I’m out of spoons today.”
But there’s also a literal dimension. Many neurodivergent people (who can overindex inheightened sensitivity to texture and deep focus on objects) have strong, specific opinions about spoons. From handfeel and mouthfeel to balance, weight, and aesthetic, every detail matters – and the criteria are deeply personal.
What does it mean?
Spoontok is a platform trend genuinely driven by community values, with people bonding over small, specific things. But in addition to sensory preferences and special interests, it’s also about reclaiming space online – making neurodivergence visible on its own terms.
Speaking of the neurodivergence: TikTok has been pivotal in a broader surge of autism awareness and self-diagnosis, especially among women and AFAB (assigned female at birth) people who may have been missed by traditional diagnostic models. Seeing your own behavior mirrored back at you – through jokes, trends, and communal rituals like SpoonTok – can be revelatory representation.
And it’s already catching brand attention: Heinz joined the conversation by posting a packet of fries shaped like spoons, ready to be dipped in ketchup. Now I’m quick to be harsh to brands jumping on trends, but genuinely liked this as a clever, contextual contribution that clearly understood the audience.
Final takeaway
Ultimately, SpoonTok is about care, connection, and texture – literally and metaphorically. And as more brands are trying to figure out their role and relation to online community, it raises a challenge: can you show up in a way that honors the joke AND the joy?