MLB

Phillies’ Bryce Harper appears to mimic “hawk tuah” in MLB game

MLB player Harper appeared to pay homage to the viral “hawk tuah girl” during the Philadelphia Phillies’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.

RICH SCHULTZ | AFP

William Allen

British journalist and translator who joined Diario AS in 2013. Focuses on soccer – chiefly the Premier League, LaLiga, the Champions League, the Liga MX and MLS. On occasion, also covers American sports, general news and entertainment. Fascinated by the language of sport – particularly the under-appreciated art of translating cliché-speak.

Update: Jun 23rd, 2024 16:12 EDT

Bryce Harper sparked bedlam among social-media users on Friday, when the baseball star appeared to mimic the “hawk tuah girl” during the Philadelphia Phillies’ MLB loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

After hitting a double during the 5-4 defeat at Citizens Bank Park, Harper seemingly celebrated by pretending to bring saliva into his mouth and spit it onto his clenched fist.

Watch as Harper appears to do the “hawk tuah”:

@betr
Bryce Harper really did the “Hawk Tuah” celebration in a game 🤣 @betr baseball #mlb #baseball #mlbbaseball #phillies #philadelphiaphillies #bryceharper #hawktua #hawktuah
♬ original sound - Betr

Internet users react to Harper’s apparent “hawk tuah”:

BRYCE HARPER DID THE HAWK TUAH??? GIVE THIS MAN THE 2024 NL MVP AWARD
— Patches O’Houlihan (@sondraa) June 22, 2024

Bryce Harper with the hawk tuah:

NEVER CHANGE BRYCE pic.twitter.com/tOMj0H6CG7
— Exciting Whites (@ExcitingWhites) June 22, 2024

no way I just saw Bryce Harper hit a hawk tuah celly 😭 https://t.co/Fk7Qn1lf0V
— kam (@kampagnepapi) June 22, 2024

Bryce Harper giving the “Hawk Tuah” is an all time celebration https://t.co/3z0y9Idqmj
— Nighthawk (@KrikorianB15) June 22, 2024

BRYCE HARPER JUST DID THE HAWK TUAH. HE IS WRONG FOR THAT! 🤣
— Jared Stillman (@JaredStillman) June 22, 2024

Who is the “hawk tuah girl”?

Harper’s celebration followed a woman’s now-viral sex tip in a street interview by the online content creators Tim and Dee TV. Asked to name “one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time”, she responded: “Oh, you’ve got to give it that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thing, you get me?”

Before “hawk tuah girl”: other viral sensations

ENTERTAINMENT

The backdrop for Tim and Dee's videos

To illustrate the meaning of the onomatopoeic term “hawk tuah”, the woman theatrically mimicked the action of collecting saliva into her mouth and spitting it out, bringing her head backwards before jutting it forward towards the interviewer’s outstretched microphone.

The widely-viewed video has sparked a flood of online memes, and has also inspired remix tracks.