Tiny Chef is a queer icon—and he needs our help

The queer community loves to adopt an icon. They don't need to be overtly queer; these figures just need to have the essence of queerness. Over the years, we've taken in the Babadook, the killer AI doll M3GAN, and the green M&M, among other notable characters. As a member of queer media, I propose that we embrace a new queer icon — a small, felt stop-motion character with a rainbow apron, currently capturing the hearts of millions — Tiny Chef.

Last Tuesday, the Tiny Chef TikTok account (where he originally gained a following before being picked up by Nickelodeon) uploaded a video of the title character answering a call from Nickelodeon. He excitedly tells the network that he has so many ideas he wants to execute before he's cut off, only to be told that The Tiny Chef Show has been cancelled after three seasons. Even through his garbled English, you can feel all of the big emotions in his tiny little body. "But we won an Emmy," he says, looking defeated as he wipes away his tears. Tiny Chef goes on to ask what will happen to his teammates and friends before accepting his fate and hanging up the phone. He puts his face in his hands and cries as he sits on his bed.

While I don't think Tiny Chef is inherently queer, something about his character screams gay. Maybe it's his mannerisms, the sass with which he delivers his semi-understandable garbling, or the over-the-top feelings he puts on display. He is the strongest contender for the next queer icon — and he needs our help.

In less than a week, the aforementioned video garnered over nine million views and over 1.6 million likes on TikTok alone. The video circulated on social media platforms, including X and Instagram. He was met with an onslaught of support from commenters who were mad at Nickelodeon for making this adorable little creature cry. "I don’t know him, but you did not just make him cry like that; you should apologize to him," one person wrote in the comments. "We ride at dawn! NOBODY makes tiny chef cry!!" another person commented.

On Thursday, the account shared an update video of how Tiny Chef was doing after the devastating news. The video featured a shattered Tiny Chef in his rainbow apron playing "Paint It, Black" by the Rolling Stones on a banjo with his back turned to the camera. As the account continued to post videos about the animated character reeling from the loss of his dream job, the internet quickly claimed him as one of its own, and commenters called for the show to be picked up by a different network or streaming service. "Petition for adult swim to take Tiny Chef and let him say naughty words," one user said in the comments section. "THEY GOT HIM SINGING PAINT IT BLACK NICKELODEON WHAT DID YOU DO TO THIS MAN???" someone else said.

Tiny Chef seemed to take some time off and finally got back in the kitchen to boost his mission to save the show. He is currently crowdfunding and asking his legion of fans known as Cheffers to engage with his content.

The LGBTQ+ community needs to rally around our furry little friend to save his show from permanently being off the air. We must ensure that we're making space for queer media, even if it's not overtly queer.

Moises Mendez II is a writer with Out magazine. Follow him on Instagram @moisesfenty.