Malaysia: TikTok ‘unboxing by husband’ trend among Muslim newlyweds condemned by religious authorities
- The online craze, adopted by many Muslims, involves newlywed grooms filming removal of their brides’ head accessories
- One Muslim cleric said a man videoing such an action was akin to ‘selling the wife’; experts blame social media and Western influences
When Ili Aqilah heard about the viral TikTok trend dubbed ‘unboxing Pengantin’ or ‘unboxing bride’, she was appalled.
“I love TikTok and I’ve learned so much from the platform but this is such a weird trend. You overshare, and I am not going to do it,” Ili said.
The craze upsetting the 32-year-old but pleasing many others – one of the videos garnered more than 70,000 likes – involves mostly Muslim newlyweds, among them many women in hijabs, filmed in their bridal outfits on their wedding night in front of a mirror. The groom then removes his wife’s head accessories.
The ‘unboxing bride’ trend emerged earlier this month, the phrase stemming from the popular social media act of ‘unboxing’ whereby influencers show a box then carefully unpack it and reveal its contents – often electronic gadgets – through diligently-crafted videos.
