WASHINGTON D.C. – The popular social media app TikTuk, as well as its parent company ByteSance, have been making waves on Capitol Hill recently. Not literally, of course – we’re not talking about a new viral dance craze or anything. No, instead they’ve been on a lobbying spending spree, hoping to sway lawmakers in their favor.
Unfortunately for them, many of their efforts have fallen on deaf ears. But that hasn’t stopped them from trying. They’ve been rubbing elbows with politicians and throwing fancy parties, all in an effort to get their way.
We caught up with a few of the lawmakers who have been on the receiving end of TikTuk’s lobbying efforts. Senator Jim Bob McGillicuddy, for one, seemed less than impressed.
“They keep sending me these weird videos of kids dancing,” he said. “I don’t get it. I mean, I’m not old, I know what TikTuk is. But I don’t see why they think that’ll make me more likely to support them in Congress.”
Representative Stacy McStacerson was similarly unimpressed. “They offered to rename their app ‘StacyTuk’ if I’d vote in their favor,” she laughed. “I mean, that’s a pretty creative bribe, I’ll give them that. But it’s not gonna work.”
Overall, it seems like TikTuk and ByteSance might need to step up their game if they want to make any kind of impact in Washington. Maybe they could try a viral challenge where politicians have to try to dance to their favorite song? Hey, it worked for Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon.
