Nicholas Perry, better known by his internet alias “Nikocado Avocado”, has returned, after a seven-month hiatus, with a new persona. Since 2013, Perry has been uploading videos– starting out explaining veganism– on YouTube. Soon after his debut, he became an internet sensation. His change of genre to mukbang (food-eating) videos with large portions of often spicy or unhealthy food went “viral” countless times. As he continued filming and uploading mukbang videos, viewers could not help but notice him gaining unhealthy amounts of weight.
This brought about massive amounts of hate and mockery from all around the world, making fun of Perry’s appetite and appearance. The YouTuber did not stop, however– he continued to regularly upload videos of himself indulging in endless amounts of junk food amidst all the negative comments; that is, until recently.
Under the YouTube profile of “Nikocado Avocado,” a seemingly different man uploaded a video titled “Two Steps Ahead.” Within the 25-minute video, Nicholas Perry started speaking. “This has been the greatest social experiment of my entire life,” he stated, “I tell the internet that I am the villain… stories that permeate, and linger, and infect the ants. You are the ants.” Perry stated that while the viewers and people on the internet were leaving hate and laughing at him for his appearance and appetite, he had self-control the entire time. Thus, he was essentially observing the viewers consume and believe his contents— which were pre-recorded two years in advance— while in reality, he lost 250 pounds during the time he was uploading. His objective seems to be proving to the people on the internet that an influencer’s real life and what they post online can be drastically different.
“It’s really confusing,” Danaliz Estevez ’26 expressed, “I don’t get the point of this ‘social experiment.’ What does he earn from trolling the internet?” Many individuals in and outside of Concord Academy are both intrigued and puzzled by the sudden change as well as the explanation video of Nikocado Avocado. Though many questions were raised and are being formed even as of right now, many believe that it is impressive and intriguing how he completely changed his appearance and his philosophical values.