Channel Seven football commentator Brian Taylor has a very surprising relationship with the infamous 11-second Fitzroy garage party video that has caused controversy after being named Australia's TikTok video of the year.
On Wednesday night, TikTok Australia had its big night at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion, with the top prize taken home by two of the people behind the polarizing Fitzroy garage party, Andrew Davie and Jordan Menadue.
The clip shows a group of men having a 'garage session' in Fitzroy, Melbourne's ultra-trendy centre.
People in the video can be seen awkwardly dancing, making prayer signs, vaping and even giving a mullet haircut in the street.
Brian Taylor (pictured with wife Tania) owns the inner-city Melbourne garage featured in award-winning viral TikTok video
The garage seen in the popular clip is said to be owned by Seven's roving AFL caller Brian Taylor.
In February, a garage sale was held at the famous location, and Taylor was there to capture it on video.
“You might be a little familiar with this (location), apparently something happened here in the last few weeks, I don't know, Fitzroy Garage Sesh or whatever it was,” he said on the video he posted to Instagram.
“The boys are having a sale here today and of course these are my boys.”
Not everyone is a fan of the original garage party clip, with millions of people around the world debating whether it's “cool” or “cringe-inducing.” Others are simply confused as to why it is so popular.
The group initially received harsh backlash for appearing 'fake', with hundreds of commenters accusing them of organizing the party for social media content rather than real fun.
“If I saw this while walking down the street I would turn around and drive around the long way,” one commenter wrote.
“Is this the first day these guys have been out or something?” said another.
The award for TikTok of the Year was accepted by Andrew Davie and Jordan Menadue
Not everyone is a fan of the video, which many consider cringe-worthy
A third wrote: 'I just described what an ick is.'
“This is what a party/club looks like when you're sober, trust me as an ex-bartender, lol,” another commented.
Meanwhile, others joked about the group's “hipster” appearance.
“I feel like I'm watching the origin story of some future Liberal MPs,” one commenter joked.
“This video just asked me if I knew Tame Impala was one man,” wrote another.
In one of the videos, titled 'impeccable atmosphere', the group can be seen posing stiffly in the garage as designated cameramen captured the magic.
“I'm still looking for said vibes,” one commenter wrote.
“Flawless is not the word I would use,” said another.
Clips of the 'garage session' (above) in Melbourne's trendy suburb of Fitzroy went viral, but some viewers accused the partying men of being fake
People accused the boys (above) of being “private school kids pretending to be poor,” while others said they seemed more interested in creating social media content than partying
However, hundreds of viewers also defended the group, saying their party looked like fun.
'Why is everyone mad about the Fitzroy garage session? I'm angry because I wasn't invited,” one person said.
“Damn I thought it looked a little lit but people say it doesn't,” wrote another.
'It's quite confronting how much hatred comes from an innocent video of people enjoying themselves. Sad world we live in,” another person commented.
One of the guys even weighed in and said, “Bruh, it's getting a bit much now, we just had a pre-relax moment.”
Meanwhile, other TikTokers around the world have been recreating their own 'Fitzroy garage sessions'.
Sydney-based lawyer Jahan Kalantar explained in a 60-second video on Saturday why the Fitzroy garage phenomenon is having such an impact.
“Fitzroy is an interesting suburb of Melbourne, it's a suburb that historically had very working class roots but seems to have gentrified substantially,” he said.
“The reason the comments are so vitriolic is because a lot of people are saying this house party represents everything that is wrong with house parties.
'It's the rich people who play poor – what we colloquially call 'champagne socialists'. People from rich suburbs who play poor for brownie points.'
He claimed the group's “commodification of poverty” made them go viral.
“The coast boys are going to Newtown… there, explained it to Sydney peeps,” another person commented.
One of the boys followed up the comments accusing them of being “private school kids pretending to be poor” with a video of him singing the words “I have no money” with the caption “I really wish you were right ' .