Social media has found a cathartic new outlet for their daily frustrations: by turning them into a “betrayal list.” The trend, which riffs on a now-deleted Kanye West post listing everyone he believed wronged him (which included Harriet Tubman as well as his daughter North West), has morphed into a meme format.

At first glance, the posts looked serious. But most people wrote about inconveniences and petty grievances instead of friends and family. The tone stayed light, even though the inspiration for the trend came from something much stranger.

Often set to the dramatic piano notes of West’s “Runaway,” these lists include everything from paper straws and Ticketmaster fees to printer jams and social burnout.

Kanye West’s betrayal list turns into a trend

Back in September, Kanye West posted yet a social media rant about people in his life as well as fictional and historical figures he believes have betrayed him.

In his tweet, which has since been deleted, West tweeted, “I AM IN PAIN THAT NO ONE PERSON CAN FIX,” and included a list titled, “THE BETRAYAL.”

The names ranged wildly, including ex-wife Kim Kardashian, Curious George, and even “Adolf.” The betrayal list also included President Donald Trump, Kid Cudi, Playboi Carti, Pete Davidson, LeBron James, and SpongeBob SquarePants character Patrick Star.

Creators on TikTok and other platforms reimagined the format, though rather than naming enemies, they complained about things like Ticketmaster fees, brain fog, low social battery, not having sick days, and needing to make phone calls. The joke works because anything big or small could qualify as a betrayal.

Therapists jumped on the trend

Although many treated the trend as harmless fun, not everyone was amused. Some viewers pushed back when therapists participated, for example.

On Reddit, user u/MyMentalHelldotcom shared frustration in the r/therapyabuse community. They wrote, “So there’s a viral ‘Betrayal List’ trend going around after Kanye West posted about people who betrayed him (which literally included Harriet Tubman, his daughter, and Hitler 🤢)… therapists who treat sexual trauma survivors are normalizing a dude who’s being [accused] of sexual battery and sex trafficking.”

Then they listed therapist complaints like session notes, unpaid internships, and not having time to pee. u/MyMentalHelldotcom continued, “I’m not saying these aren’t important ([except] for the notes, get over yourselves) but instead of using their platforms to talk about actual issues in the field, like ethics, accountability, or how licensing boards ignore harm, they’re out here joking about running out of tissue boxes at the wrong time. Also, they’re all using Kanye’s music in their reels, which means he’s getting royalties.”

Examples of the “betrayal list” trend

Every corner of TikTok got involved. Beauty creators added nail mishaps. Students complained about printers jamming and professors emailing at midnight.

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