Zepotha
{{Short description|Internet hoax and nonexistent movie}}
{{Italic title}}
Zepotha is a nonexistent movie created as part of a hoax by TikTok user Emily Jeffri in August 2023. A similar meme, Goncharov, had emerged on Tumblr nine months earlier, prompting comparisons between the two.{{cite web |last1=Diaz |first1=Ana |title=TikTok has invented a fake '80s horror movie named Zepotha |url=https://www.polygon.com/23831416/zepotha-opening-scene-tiktok-fake-80s-horror-movie-goncharov |website=Polygon |access-date=2023-08-15 |language=en |date=2023-08-14 |quote=Zepotha really just seems like TikTok's take on Goncharov...So far, Zepotha hasn't reached the same depth of planning, and it's prompted a bit of a rivalry between the two films.}}{{cite web |last1=Rosenblatt |first1=Kalhan |title='Zepotha' is social media's favorite film — but it doesn't exist |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/zepotha-fake-movie-social-media-rcna99788 |website=NBCNews.com |access-date=2023-08-15 |language=en |date=2023-08-14 |quote="Zepotha" is not the first fake film to go viral. Last year, Tumblr users became obsessed with "Goncharov,"...It garnered similar fervor from people online}}{{cite news |last1=Kemp |first1=Ellie |title=Who is Emily Jeffri? The independent artist behind TikTok's Zepotha trend |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/who-emily-jeffri-independent-artist-27519489 |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |access-date=2023-08-16 |language=en |date=2023-08-15 |quote=Last winter, a meme of a similar nature...on Tumblr...resulted in the concept of Goncharov}}
Creation
Zepotha as a concept was created on August 12, 2023, by Emily Jeffri when she posted a TikTok urging users to perpetuate a false 1980s horror movie as a "bit".{{Cite web |date=2023-08-14 |title='Zepotha': The horror movie going viral on TikTok that doesn't exist |url=https://mashable.com/article/zepotha-horror-movie-tiktok-explained |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=Mashable |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Sung |first=Morgan |date=2023-08-18 |title=Zepotha is huge on TikTok, but it's no Goncharov |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/18/zepotha-1980s-horror-fake-movie-tiktok-goncharov-tumblr/ |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}
{{Blockquote|text=new bit idea: what if we created a fake 80s horror movie called 'Zepotha'...we can convince thousands of people that this weirdly titled 80s horror film actually exists|author=Emily Jeffri|source=TikTok}}
The video reached over 5.1 million views,{{Cite web |date=2023-08-14 |title=What Is 'Zepotha?' Here's What You Need to Know About TikTok's Fake Viral Movie |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a44808730/what-is-zepotha-tiktok-movie/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=Cosmopolitan |language=en-US}} and the Zepotha hashtag reached over 84.1 million views on TikTok. Misinformation quickly spread throughout TikTok and other social media platforms, which led many users to believe that Zepotha was real or a Mandela effect.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-13 |title=What is the viral TikTok 'horror movie' Zepotha? |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/national/uk-today/23719735.tiktok-horror-movie-zepotha-real/ |access-date=2023-08-13 |website=HeraldScotland |language=en}} Users created a "Which Zepotha character are you?" filter{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Erica|date=2023-08-13 |title=What Is 'Zepotha'? Solving the Mystery Surrounding TikTok's Favorite Fake '80s Movie |url=https://popcrush.com/zepotha-explained-tiktok-trend/ |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=PopCrush |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Centennial |date=2023-08-14 |title=What Is Zepotha? The Imaginary Movie Taking Over TikTok |url=https://centennialworld.com/what-is-zepotha-tiktok/ |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=Centennial World: Internet Culture, Creators & News |language=en-US}} which includes characters like Alaine, Cole, Danny, Maxine, Rita, and Vincent, who are commonly referenced when speaking about the movie.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-13 |title=What is the viral TikTok 'horror movie' Zepotha? |url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/23719735.tiktok-horror-movie-zepotha-real/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=York Press |language=en}} Actress Maria Canals-Barrera also posted about the movie claiming she had seen it.
Jeffri created Zepotha to market her album,{{Cite news |last1=Fadel |first1=Leila |last2=Martin |first2=Michel |date=2023-08-17 |title=The hype for a fake movie, 'Zepotha,' goes viral on Tiktok |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/08/17/1194349639/the-hype-for-a-fake-movie-zepotha-goes-viral-on-tiktok |url-status= |access-date=2023-08-17 |publisher=NPR}} Soundtrack for an 80s Horror Movie, which came out on August 25, 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-21 |title=Is The 'Zepotha' Movie TikTokers Keep Talking About Even Real? It's Complicated. |url=https://www.bustle.com/life/what-is-zepotha-movie-tiktok |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=Bustle |language=en}} Jeffri's music is used in the background of her viral video and many other videos discussing Zepotha. However, Jeffri's attempts to further capitalise on the meme's virality caused backlash.{{cite web |title=Why has viral fake TikTok movie Zepotha created a backlash? |first1=Iona |last1=Rowan |date=2023-08-22 |website=Digital Spy |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a44875987/zepotha-movie-1987-explained-tiktok/ |access-date=2023-08-25}}