Most passengers spend their time on flights listening to podcasts, catching up on Netflix or perusing the available on-demand movie selections. To put it bluntly, the idea of taking a long-haul journey alone with our thoughts is terrifying for a lot of us. Despite this, men are voluntarily subjecting themselves to such mental challenges by denying themselves any kind of amusement or diversion. It’s amazing how popular this valiant demonstration of manhood has grown; it even has its own moniker. We’re sorry to tell you that it’s “rawdogging."
What is Rawdogging flight?
People, especially men, are surviving lengthy flights without engaging in any entertainment aside from glancing at the in-flight map. This trend has been documented on social media sites like TikTok and X.
Who Initiated the Rawdogging trend on Flights?
The trend of only observing the flight map while travelling on a plane was initiated by a TikToker by the name of Westy.
He posted a video to social media that went viral in May 2024 with the caption, “Pov: successfully completed another 7hr flight only watching the maps." He posed the question, “Anyone else bareback flights?" in the caption.
Recently, a YouTuber has claimed that during an 11-hour trip, the entire aircraft was made to “rawdog" when the screens closed.
For the Westy, though, it didn’t exactly begin as a show of restraint; rather, he tells GQ that he just gets weary of seeing the same films and travels quite frequently for business.
What is the point of all this?
According to GQ, Westy and other people have also grown to view rawdogging flights as a sort of challenge. The objective is to determine how completely participants can forgo basic pleasures, including complimentary snacks, beverages and even trips to the toilet.
It goes without saying that we live in a more stimulating age when you can work, connect to Wi-Fi and engage in endless scrolling even when you’re in a plane. For a few, the only opportunity to truly detach from everything is during a flight. It may be categorised as a contemplative experience in that sense.
Is it a ‘from screen to life’ kind of situation?
Some social media users were reminded of a notable TV character who was a pioneer of raw-dogging flights: David Puddy, the on-again, off-again lover of Elaine Benes on Seinfeld.
In “The Butter Shave," a season 9 episode, Patrick Warburton’s character Puddy annoyed Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) by turning down her offer of a book to read while returning from a trip in Europe and instead to just look straight ahead.
respectfully, you are not "rawdogging" if you watch the flight map. Puddy was staring at the back of the seat in front of him. man up https://t.co/PO60v86Dox— 6’3" pool boy bitch (@youwouldntpost) June 24, 2024
The new trip idea also shares similarities with Apple TV’s Hijack series. According to The Strait Times, Idris Elba’s character takes a gloomy, stare-forward flight from Dubai to London after the bad guys hijack Sam Nelson’s seven-hour flight.
Raw-dogging on the big screen might also be present in Ruben Östlund’s latest film, The Entertainment System Is Down, which won the Palme d’Or.
The director of Triangle of Sadness said in a previous interview that the movie, which is marketed as a social satire, is about a long-haul journey wherein the entertainment system is malfunctioning and the passengers have to deal with their boredom.
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