Stationed at the corner of Broadway and 3rd Avenue in downtown Nashville, Tennessee , the duo who specialize in capturing street interviews at nightlife hotspots thought they had enough footage for their next video. However, two women approached them, requesting an interview, and a viral star was born.
That star is Hailey Welch, now famously known as Hawk Tuah Girl.
The phrase " Hawk Tuah " is an onomatopoeic representation of the sound Welch made while mimicking a sexual act in the video shot by Dickerson and Marlow. This clip has since been viewed millions of times, sparking numerous reaction videos and even a merchandise line featuring the phrase.
Welch's popularity skyrocketed after the clip was uploaded to Instagram in early June. She has since sold thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, featured on a Barstool Sports podcast, and even shared the stage with country music star Zach Bryan at a recent concert.
While Dickerson and Marlow, of Tim and Dee TV, are pleased with Welch's success, they can't help but wonder when they'll receive some recognition for their part in her rise to fame, reports the New York Times .
Marlow voiced: "At the end of the day, nobody would know who she was if we didn't bring it to light and post it.”
He followed that by saying: "A lot of the audience who hadn't seen us before think we grew off this one clip. People treated it like we're nobodies and didn't already have a platform."
Their memorable encounter with Welch began with the duo tossing her comparatively mild questions like "What makes you wifey material?” The dynamic gradually shifted as Welch persuaded Marlow to turn up the heat prompting him to pose the question: "What's one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?" – the trigger question which shot Welch straight into virtual stardom.
Post Welch's fiery response, Dickerson fondly recalls a shared glance with Marlow indicating: "Oh yeah, that's going to be a good one."
Yet, they remained oblivious to the viral storm their interview was about to whip up.
Just a day following the interview, Marlow released the clip on TikTok which spread like wildfire across social media platforms. Dishonest users began to repost it after strategically removing the "Tim and Dee TV" watermark.
Relying on views to monetize their videos, Dickerson and Marlow lodged around 50 copyright infringement complaints in the wake of the video's initial publication. While Marlow freelances as a videographer, Dickerson earns his living as a football coach and day trader.
In a surprising turn, they started receiving acknowledgments from heavy hitters like Complex, Barstool Sports and OnlyFans.
Despite their initial excitement, the pair soon realized that these inquiries were merely attempts to contact Welch, who had become the center of a whirlwind of online speculation about her job and the repercussions of her viral fame.
Welch refuted these claims in an interview with Brianna LaPaglia from Barstool Sports. Dickerson and Marlow have experienced their videos going viral before – though never on this scale – and they anticipate it will happen again.
Marlow even hinted at potential future collaborations with Welch, revealing he's been in contact with her attorney.
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