“Thingo for President”: Mom’s Slim Figure Sparks Questions From Her Child About Happiness, SA Amused

Published 15 Oct 2025 at 11:13 PM

by Bongiwe Mati

3 min read

A young boy named Thingo went viral for asking his mother a profound and hilarious question: if she was truly happy, why was she slender
The amusing video was shared on TikTok, garnering thousands of comments from an entertained online community, with many asking for more from the boy
Social media users were in stitches, with many jokingly calling for the boy to become president for fully representing plus-size body types

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The little boy asked if she was happy, and when she said yes, he asked her why she was slim — Young Thingo shared his views about slim people and happiness while chatting with his mother. Image: @thingo_backupacc
Source: TikTok

A little boy’s innocent yet profound question about body image and happiness turned him into a viral sensation, with social media users entertained by his outspoken nature.

The clip, shared on the boy's TikTok by @thingo_backupacc, was met with laughter and affection from viewers who wondered where he had been.

The TikTok video shared by @thingo_backupacc captures a charming conversation between a mother and her young son, Thingo, taking place at home. It begins with the KZN boy asking his mother if she is happy. When his mom confirms that she is, Thingo follows up with the question that is the source of the video's humour: "But why are you so slender?"

The boy questions his mom about being slim

The mother, playing along, asks Thingo how a happy person is supposed to look. The boy confidently replies that a happy person must be fully figured, whole, smiling, as if careful not to offend his mom.

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Others said they felt represented by the boy as fully figured women, jokingly calling him a president — The boy's viral post had social media users in stitches, sharing how happy they were to see Thingo after being scarce on social media. Image: @thingo_backupacc
Source: TikTok

SA reacts to Thingo's video

The viral clip garnered 3.7M views, 399K likes, and 9.7K comments, all from social media users who were thoroughly entertained and in stitches. Many parents related to the unexpected body commentary from children, sharing their own similar stories of kids expressing a preference for their parents not to be too slim.

A large number of fully-figured women jokingly said that Thingo had fully represented them and their body type, playfully calling for the little boy to become president. The post also sparked a humorous suggestion that Thingo and the other viral toddler, Zuluboy, would make a dangerous combination with no filter.

User @User @Lovey7gp commented:

"You know I was thinking about Thingo, asking myself where he is 🤣? I'm happy to see him back, missed him 💋❤️."

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