Actor Patrick Warburton, known for his role on Seinfeld, has suggested that a popular scene from the show might have inadvertently sparked the ‘raw-dogging’ trend.
If you’re not familiar, the raw-dogging trend gained momentum last year, where travelers embark on long flights without any distractions or entertainment.
While many passengers usually bring along books, movies, or music, those who embrace ‘raw-dogging’ spend their flight time simply gazing out the window, monitoring the flight map, or sitting idly.
The trend captured the attention on social media last summer, with numerous individuals daring themselves to endure lengthy flights without any form of entertainment.
TikTok played a significant role in popularizing the trend, but Warburton now claims he unknowingly initiated it in the 1990s when his character, David Puddy, displayed similar behavior during a flight with his girlfriend Elaine, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
“So this ‘rawdogging’ has become a bit of a thing,” Warburton mentioned.
“And I feel a bit responsible.”
In the scene, Elaine asks David: “You want something to read?”
David, embodying the essence of a raw-dogger, replies: “No, I’m good.”
Elaine presses on: “Are you going to take a nap or…?”
“You just gonna sit there staring at the back of the seat?”
David simply responds: “Yes.”
Warburton humorously comments in the video: “My concern is that somebody’s gonna get hurt, and if you go into this thing blindly, you know what I’m saying.
“Just not reading, watching something, you better be okay with what’s going on up here, inside your ol’ noggin.
“I’m not, but it’s weird and entertaining at times. Just be careful. That’s all I’m saying. It’s not for novices.”
Viewers quickly shared their thoughts on the video, with many recounting their own experiences and acknowledging Warburton as the ‘original raw dogger’.
“I raw dogged a 16 hour double connecting flight because of you,” one person commented.
Another remarked: “The dude next to me yesterday did this!!! I was in shock! 2.5 hours of nothing. wtf.”
A third person simply stated: “The OG raw dogger!”
“OG raw dogger. Respect to the GOAT,” another shared.
One individual recounted: “I raw dogged a Dubai flight once took me bout a hour after flight landed to learn how to talk to people again.”
Yet another admitted: “I’ll be honest. I couldn’t do it. I normally like to sleep on planes.”