Emmanuel the chaotic emu is officially the internet's favorite bird
His adorable antics are wholesomely addictive.

"Emmanuel, don't do it!" = new catchphrase of 2022.
If you haven’t met Emmanuel yet, you’re in for a treat.
Emmanuel is a resident of South Florida’s Knuckle Bump Farms, where farm worker Taylor Blake tries (desperately) to film informational videos about the animals on TikTok.
Unfortunately for Blake, Emmanuel ain’t havin it.
Her every attempt is thwarted by his relentless pecking antics, and the internet is in stitches over it. Below is a compilation of Emmanuel’s greatest hits, created by Tyla. Despite Blake’s demands, and even an experimentation in reverse psychology—“go ahead, do it,” she dares him—nothing can stop Emmanuel from knocking the phone to the ground.
Holy crap this is wonderful pic.twitter.com/kSUiQd0XQP
— David (@p4ndr_) July 15, 2022
"How did that make you feel?" Blake asks him, her voice full of sarcasm. "Was it everything you ever wanted and wished for and hoped for in life? Do you feel fulfilled now?" Judging by the look on his face, the answer seems like a resounding yes.
For a flightless bird, this troublemaking emu has quickly soared to virality with his mischief. If we don’t soon see T-shirts printed with the words “Emmanuel, don’t do it!” in big, bold letters, I’d be surprised. And a little disappointed, if I’m honest. It’s not every day that a farm bird earns tabloid coverage by TMZ. What a legend.Unfortunately for Blake, Emmanuel has been a bad, bad influence on the other Knuckle Bump critters, who have joined him in anti-animal education protests.
@knucklebumpfarms Animals against education, episode 2. #animalsagainsteducation #emmanueltheemu #ellentheemu #princessthedeer #reginatherhea #farmlife ♬ original sound - Knuckle Bump Farms
Among his most loyal cohorts is Princess, a deer who refuses to stop biting, licking and altogether ruining the shot. Emmanuel has taught her well.
Luckily, Blake has discovered an unbeatable weapon of discipline known by parents far and wide: whipping out the full government name.
@knucklebumpfarms He knew I meant business when I whipped out his government name 😩🤣 #emmanueltheemu #emmanueldontdoit #emmanuel #emu #animalsagainsteducation ♬ original sound - Knuckle Bump Farms
All bets are off once “Emmanuel Todd Lopez!” is shouted, no doubt about it. Yes, that's his full name. Emmanuel Todd Lopez.
“He tightened up real quick when he heard the full name,” joked one viewer.
This trick seemed to work on Emmanuels of all species. "My name is Emmanuel and I fully froze," wrote one person.
In his defense, it’s not all pranks with Emmanuel. When not choosing violence, this emu is quite the cuddler.
@knucklebumpfarms Early morning emu snuggles #emmanueltheemu #emu #farmlife ♬ original sound - Knuckle Bump Farms
There he is, happy as can be after finally getting the attention he's been so aggressively fighting for.
He’s also fond of hats.
@knucklebumpfarms Morning pep talks with Emmanuel #emu #emmanueltheemu #emusoftiktok #birdsoftiktok #farmlife #cowboy ♬ original sound - Knuckle Bump Farms
Nobody that’s completely evil could look this adorable in a hat.
Emmanuel might be aggravating his owners, but he is winning the hearts of millions.
Some were finding a bit of themselves while watching. "Emmanuel needs chaos and attention. I feel that to my core," one person commented.
Others found Blake and Emmanuel’s tumultuous-yet-loving dynamic to be inspirational.
“This is how chaotic I want my farm to be one day,” wrote one person.
Another added, “You give me such comic relief. I love your animals and their crazy personalities and your patience with them.”
One thing everyone can agree on: It’s Emmanuel’s world. We're just living in it.You can follow along on all the wholesome Knuckle Bump Farm shenanigans via Instagram and TikTok. There you’ll find one big happy and haywire animal family ready to put a smile on your face.
Thank you Blake for your delightful content and unbeatable patience. And Emmanuel, thank you for being you.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.