What is Hogging? Meaning explained as TikToker exposes disturbing fraternity ritual

TikTok users create novel challenges on a daily basis, the latest being “hogging”, a competition popular among college students in the United States. A TikTok user posted about the same challenge on October 4, and the short clip has now gained over a million views and fuelled endless discussion online.

Hogging has also led to TikTok users initiating a discussion about several other college practices which can sometimes be scary and often predatory.

According to Urban Dictionary, hogging is a competition amongst male college students that:

“Involves going to a bar/frat/house party. Participants go with the direct intention of hooking up with the fattest girl at the party. The guy who bags the fattest girl wins.”

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College students open up about “hogging” experiences

In 2018, a Cornell University fraternity was placed on probation after a few students conducted a competition called a “pig roast”, which is similar to hogging. According to reports, students attempted to sleep with several women who were considered overweight.

An investigation was launched against Zeta Beta Tau after multiple reports were filed against the fraternity, whose behavior was considered undesirable and meant to humiliate women.

Since several victims went through the unfortunate experience of hogging, the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was placed on probation. The male students who took part also had to participate in being educated on s*xual violence.

Hogging is unfortunately a common experience that many college students go through. In an interview with Buzzfeed, plus-sized fashion and body positive activist Megan said:

“Hogging is a practice of achieving masculinity.”

She added:

“One of the ways men can do that, in their eyes, is by sleeping with the greatest number of people possible. They see fat women as easy targets.”

Hogging is a college practice experienced by women who are considered conventionally “fat” or “unattractive”.

Referring to a research paper by Ariane Prohaska and Jeannine A. Gailey, Megan stated in a TikTok video:

“Sometimes they (men) will then, in the completion of having s*x with her, have the entire group of men come barging in the room, and they’ll start harassing the woman until she leaves that space.”

Several TikTok users also shared on the video sharing platform that they have experienced hogging as well.