A content creator’s gym “photobombing” video has sparked debate on TikTok and X over whether or not it is ragebait. 

In the video, creator Jennifer (@jenniferrpicone) is seen lifting weights for the camera before becoming aggravated at another gymgoer for lingering in the background of the shot.

Commenters were outraged at the “gym Karen,” with many calling out her behavior—sparking discussions about broader gym etiquette and tagging controversial fitness influencer Joe Swoll. Others questioned if the content had been deliberately engineered to antagonize audiences in the hopes of going viral.

What happened in the video?

Jennifer’s original video was uploaded to TikTok on Sept. 26, 2025, alongside the text, “Gym etiquette lesson #47: Don’t photobomb the content creator.”

The video shows content creator Jennifer lifting weights on a bench at the gym. In the background, another woman moves into the frame, observing herself in the mirror and stretching as she prepares to work out. After less than a minute, Jennifer confronts her.

“Why are you standing there?” she asks, to which the innocuous gymgoer responds, “Why do you care?”

“Because you’re annoying me,” Jennifer adds. The two then argue before the woman disappears offscreen, while Jennifer warns her, “Don’t work out next to me.”

Commenters were shocked at the confrontation.

@jenniferrpicone She did that 💩on purpose 🤪 #gymtok #fyp ♬ original sound – Jennifer R. Picone

“Gym etiquette #1: film yourself at home if you don’t want others on cam,” wrote one person, while others agreed, “not your personal gym.”

“It’s the way she never not even once looked your direction til you accosted her,” added someone else.

Some commenters advocated for more direct intervention. “Who else wants to go workout right beside her during her entire workout tomorrow? Please someone do this for all of us,” wrote shortstop22.

Others called for broader solutions to what they believed was a widespread problem among this genre of content creators.

“They need to just ban filming in gyms,” said Michael Fausett. 

Commenters on X weigh in on gym etiquette

While the original TikTok received a modest 270,000 views as of Sept. 29, 2025, it was also reposted to X where it pulled in a much larger 8.5M views. 

“Look, not to be Joey Swoll, but this is obnoxious. She should be banned from the gym, and a judge should sentence her to get fat,” user @9mm_smg wrote alongside the video—referencing controversial gym influencer Joey Swoll. 

Swoll, who calls himself the “CEO OF GYM POSITIVITY,” has built a following of over 8M on TikTok by posting videos criticizing fellow fitness influencers for their obnoxious filming behavior. He is known for popularizing the term “gym Karen”, referring to the trope of the disgruntled middle aged white woman, with many in the comments applying this label to Jennifer.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a better gym Karen example than this,” wrote Above The Best (@thedooberhead.)

Swoll claims to promote good gym etiquette, but he has attracted criticism for both his methods and ties to other controversies, including accusations of racism.
Several commenters tagged Swoll in their posts, where he eventually responded.
“Nah brother you Joey Swoll this all you want, you are 100% correct she should be banned from the gym for this nonsense!” he wrote. “I’m on vacation in Croatia but I’m gonna make the time to find this gym and handle this. Thank you everyone for tagging me and sending me this.”

Less than an hour later, he added that he had, “Already found the gym and city.”

Is the video ragebait?

Ragebait—the term for content deliberately filmed or uploaded to provoke anger—is prolific on TikTok, but seems to be especially prevalent within fitness influencer circles. It thrives on a cycle of anticipated reactions fuelled by previous narratives towards certain groups, which are then validated by commenters and repeated by the self-aware creator. 

Anyone can fall for ragebait, but groups with unconscious biases including misogyny, racism, and ageism, are particularly susceptible to playing into it.

As for whether Jennifer’s video constitutes ragebait, several other clips on her profile seem to feature similar photobombing incidents, suggesting a common theme, but we couldn’t find evidence of her addressing this directly.

The creator has yet to post a video directly addressing her controversial upload, either, but did upload a video on Sept. 28, where text on screen reads, “Haters gonna hate so you just keep your chin up.”

The Daily Dot reached out to Jennifer for comment, but has yet to receive a response. 

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The post “Don’t work out next to me”: Fitness creator confronts woman for “photobombing” her video appeared first on The Daily Dot.

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