A Waffle House employee was recently terminated due to a viral TikTok video where she participated in the trending Brokey Challenge. This challenge is linked to rapper Latto’s song of the same name from her album Sugar Honey Iced Tea, which highlights those who struggle financially to afford luxurious items.
The song has faced some criticism online, with many believing Latto was belittling everyday jobs. To address the backlash, the rapper took to her X account on September 15, 2024, announcing a reward of $10,000 for the employee who creates the best video at work to her song. This initiative has since been termed the Brokey Challenge by netizens.
Waffle House employee and TikToker @yadirajramirez1 joined the trend, showcasing a fun routine with her coworkers set to the tune of Brokey. However, shortly after the video went viral, she was let go from her position at Waffle House and placed on the “EFR list,”making her ineligible for rehire.
The news stirred up significant debate online, with many users supporting her situation.
“This is so crazy because they can literally jump over the counter, knock people out, and come back to work the next day,”an unimpressed user commented.
“It’s unfair that she was the only one fired when she and her coworkers, including the manager, were all in the video,”another user added.
“Waffle House missed a huge marketing opportunity with this,”@Kswizz_ wrote.
Conversely, some netizens criticized the TikToker for her perceived unprofessionalism by recording a video during work hours.
“This is why a job will only ever get 10% of my energy,”a comment read.
“People need to stop doing TikToks at work… regardless of how fun or ‘cool’ their job is, leave that for after hours. Corporate isn’t your friend, and this song is explicit. If it were Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, maybe it would be different, but think before you act,”@CountyBrwnie warned.
“Stop doing things for the internet. Now you’re banned from Waffle House for life just because you were hoping to be noticed by a rapper,”another user remarked.
Latto has announced plans to feature the winner of the Brokey Challenge in her music video
In August, Latto released her third studio album, Sugar Honey Iced Tea, which has received positive reviews from both fans and critics alike, debuting at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and number two on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.
However, the song Brokey received mixed reactions from fans. In it, she raps:
“When a real one hold you down, bae, you supposed to drown/You ain’t never f*ck with no boss b*tch, I turned you out/You won’t catch me in no shark boots, y’all burnt ’em out/B*tches gotta wait ’til they/birthday to go out of town/Brokey.”
The track faced criticism for allegedly downplaying the significance of standard jobs while showcasing an extravagant lifestyle. In response, Latto expressed her frustration, stating:
“I hate that y’all think I was calling hard workers brokeys (broken heart emoji), so I got $10k for whoever makes the best video at their job to Brokey.”
Alongside the cash prize, Latto also promised to fly the winner out to participate in the music video for the song, stating, “No more waiting ’til your birthday to go out of town,”echoing a line from her song.
Since then, a surge of videos has appeared on social media featuring fans dancing to the song at work and showcasing their jobs.
Latto has yet to publicly comment on the recent developments.
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