In real life, Tamir Omari is not, in fact, a cartoon character. On Instagram, he embodies a SpongeBob-esque character of silliness, mild immaturity and, as he frequently touts, “freakiness.” But for the 20-year-old content creator, who is currently on a leave of absence from NYU, his not-so-serious Instagram Reels are the product of meticulous editing, an ambitious mindset and a year’s worth of cultivating an online persona.
Omari, who has about 477,000 Instagram followers, studied music business at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development for three semesters before transferring to the Gallatin School of Individualized Study. A few days into this semester, Omari decided to take a leave of absence, with his academic adviser’s encouragement. He has since posted over 50 goofy Reels, some of which he filmed in Washington, D.C. and Mexico.
“When I was in my classes, all I would think about was getting out of my classes to do videos,” Omari said. “I love learning, I love going to school — it just doesn’t make sense right now.”
In his first Reel, which he posted around a year ago but later took down, Omari comically lamented that New York City was hit by an earthquake while he was “edging.” Since then, Omari has mostly refrained from threading sexual themes into his content — aside from occasionally pointing out innuendos in otherwise unassuming signs.
“[My videos] definitely started out more suggestive, but it also felt icky knowing that kids could watch [my] videos and [I’m] saying things that aren’t kid appropriate,” Omari said.
While the Gramercy native didn’t expect a video he posted on a whim to amass millions of views, the ensuing online discourse and the thousands of followers he quickly gained were life-changing. Beyond the scope of his early content — most of which was filmed in and around NYU’s campus — Omari has also released his single “Ain’t Easy Being Freaky” and was part of a star-studded photo-op with MrBeast, A.J., Big Justice and The Rizzler. He also frequently collaborates with the likes of Anthpo, Natalie Tran and Liam Miller, who are among the young content creators he has befriended.
“I was checking my [Instagram] DMs, and I realized that everybody I’ve been talking to [has] blue checks,” he said. “It’s none of the friends that I had beforehand.”
Leaving the university to pursue content creation is something that Omari still grapples with. To justify his leave of absence, Omari’s father told him that he had to hit 500,000 followers by August — a goal Omari expects to achieve by the end of this month. To help with his growing brand, he hired an agent in March, who now helps him seek out sponsorships and content collaborations.
“When there was no money or any incentives involved, I think that was when I was at my most creative,” Omari said. “I think I’m getting back into that headspace right now.”
Omari credits many of his friends at NYU for helping him brainstorm content ideas and shoot many of the early videos that rapidly grew his online presence. He also said that Stern professor Richard Hendler first inspired him to take advantage of his ability to make his peers laugh.
When Omari was a student in Hendler’s Entertainment Law course last spring, he sang “Happy Birthday” to a classmate with spot-on pitch, according to Hendler. After approaching Omari to learn more about his life, Hendler was struck by his background in theater and music production.
“I said to Tamir: You have to showcase your talent,” Hendler said. “It could be a hobby later on in life, but right now, why don’t you showcase it?”
While he doesn’t see the humor in Omari’s videos, Hendler is still one of his biggest supporters and even helped boost him to 400,000 followers last month, after asking students across all his classes to follow Omari’s account. Hendler said that he invited the first 20 students who completed the task to a private dinner with Omari.
Embracing his newfound fame, Omari has grown accustomed to getting recognized by students in Washington Square Park, where he filmed many of his most viral videos. Take “spoon prank,” one of Omari’s longest running gags — in true Omari fashion, these Reels are deliberately outlandish and wacky.
“There are no mature themes in a Tamir Omari video,” he said. “It’s really just about being unabashedly silly and goofy, like you just don’t care.”
This doesn’t mean, however, that Omari takes his content creation lightly. Every detail, from the timing of his jokes to his classic outfit — baggy jeans, one of his “freaky tees” and his signature Ed Hardy hat — is intentional.
“I just love the puzzle of making a funny, short video — I love the problem-solving element of it,” he said.
Omari also said that he played SpongeBob in a musical during his childhood — now, the cartoon character serves as a blueprint for his online persona.
“I like the effortlessness of being in a cartoon world where I don’t abide by the laws of physics, like anything can happen,” Omari said. “I feel like I’m putting out this character that I spent so long building up.”
Due to the public nature of his work, Omari finds particular joy in everyday activities, like dabbling in digital art, making music with friends and Citi Biking around the city — reminders of his life before becoming a full-time content creator.
While Omari isn’t sure when he will return to NYU, he is currently focusing on capitalizing on his momentum, expanding his brand and, perhaps most importantly, staying freaky.
“Tamir Omari is an extension of who I am,” he said. “I’m really treating 2025 like the year of Tamir.”
Contact Lauren Ng at [email protected].
