Perhaps you’ve seen the videos — gushing geysers, lush landscapes, and hunky men in the great outdoors set to sensual hip hop. The National Parks have never seemed so strange and so… sexy?
The trend began when a parody account for Yellowstone National Park posted an unusual video on Mother’s Day weekend. It featured Thoren Bradley, a social media star and content creator best known for TikTok videos of him chopping wood and removing his shirt. The video then cuts to scenic shots of Yellowstone National Park while suggestive music plays in the background.
@visit.yellowstone Within Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres, visitors have unparalleled opportunities to observe wildlife in an intact ecosystem, and explore geothermal areas @Thoren Bradley #stitch #booktok #darkromance #masktok #fantasy #momsover30 #fyp ♬ original sound – Yellowstone National Park
Bradley himself commented, “Full consent. Use me. For views. Money. Awareness to national parks. Full consent. Zero sarcasm. Use me.”
It’s an unorthodox method of promotion, but not an ineffective one. Other fan accounts have picked up on the trend with their own cheeky videos, including a few Canadian spots.
An account focusing on Banff National Park has videos featuring sexy lumberjacks, adult entertainers, and a clip of Mark Carney discussing marine conservation that declares him Canada’s daddy. The latter has over 84,000 likes.
@banffnp Talk dirty to me! 🌲💦 . @Yellowstone National Park @Joshua Tree National Park @Grand Teton 🏔 #nature #Outdoors #parktok #forest #lake #adventure #yellowstone #mountaintok #yellowstonenationalpark #granola #nationalpark #tree #mountain #booktok ♬ Me So Horny – The 2 Live Crew
Meanwhile, an account about Jasper National Park boasts gushing waterfalls, shirtless men swimming in rivers, and a declaration for Yellowstone to “hold our Timmies.”
An account about Waterton has also gotten in on the action, featuring videos about “deep cracks,” mating season, silver foxes, and Bear’s Hump Trail.
Cross-border solidarity
There’s a method to this madness. The viral sexualization of national parks comes at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to privatize America’s national parks. Funding will be cut, employees have been fired, and Republicans are trying to sell off portions of the public land.
“The situation has become dire,” reads a blog post from the National Parks Conservation Association, “but a record number of park lovers are speaking up on behalf of parks.”
While some are simply hopping on a trend, most videos encourage viewers to visit and protect the national parks. As for Canada’s presence, the message seems the same, even if the threat is not as imminent. In a time when Canada/U.S. relations are strained, it’s a breath of fresh air (literally and metaphorically) to see solidarity from nature-lovers on both sides of the border.
“Wet N Wild Waterton Lakes National Park stands with our cuz’ down South,” writes one account.
“We stand with all Parks! And we condemn the decision of the Orange overlord to cut funding to our buddies below the belt!” writes another.
The official pages for Canada’s national parks are keeping their posts G-rated, but if you’re into raunchy outdoor content, you now know where to look.
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