TikTok "NPC" streamers act out repetitive loops for tips, sparking debate and memes

TikTok creators like Pinkydoll are livestreaming themselves reacting to viewer tips with repetitive actions and catchphrases, mimicking non-playable video game characters.
Viewers pay real money to send virtual gifts during the streams, allowing popular NPC streamers like Pinkydoll to earn thousands per stream.
The NPC streaming trend has spread rapidly on TikTok Live, with some praising the work ethic and others criticizing the sexualized aspects.
Philosophers and pundits have weighed in on the possible ideological implications of the NPC trend and its escapist appeal.
The phenomenon has inspired memes and jokes imagining real people like Slavoj Žižek as eccentric NPC streamers.