A Grandma, a Hippo, and the Collapse of Common Sense

While the United States grapples with the consequences of failed policies, persistent inflation, an overwhelmed southern border, and rising insecurity in sanctuary cities, the internet once again distracts the public with a supposedly “charming” story that, in truth, reveals something far more troubling: the total dissolution of global common sense.

A viral video from Russia shows an elderly woman, with the most casual attitude in the world, going about her day with a creature that is hardly associated with domestic life: a hippopotamus.

“Yes, it's mine”: the phrase that defines modern-day delusion
“Yes, it's mine. His name is Bulka, my Bulka, barabulka,” the woman says, laughing, as the animal — a creature that kills more people in the wild each year than crocodiles or lions — calmly strolls through her living room, eats from her hand, and accompanies her to the store.

Who needs a cane or an electric scooter when you can have your own personal African meat tank? Because yes, that is exactly what Bulka seems to be for this woman: a sort of transport “better than their scooters,” as she proudly puts it.

The video, which has already surpassed 10 million views on TikTok and other platforms, shows this Russian grandmother taking Bulka to her neighborhood store. “What does he eat?” someone off-camera asks. “Well… yes, I agree with you,” she replies vaguely, as if that answer suffices to justify what we’re witnessing.

From eccentric to absurd
The image is as surreal as it is telling: a massive wild animal inside a regular home, eating next to an elderly woman who treats him like a cat. The scene seems straight out of a Soviet-era cartoon. But no, this is real.

And the most alarming part isn’t Bulka’s presence in a Russian living room — it’s how the global public has received the scene. Comments like “So cute!”, “I want one,” or “Cutest TikTok duo ever” flood social media.

What would once have been considered a basic violation of the survival instinct is now rewarded with virtual applause and endless likes.

Russia, hippos, and global priorities gone off track
That this scene takes place in Russia is no minor detail. While the Kremlin continues expanding its geopolitical influence, while Europe faces energy crises and cultural conflicts, and while the U.S. works to restore its leadership through the firm policies of President Trump, the world wastes its time glorifying scenes that, in any other context, would raise social alarms or even be classified as animal abuse.

Is Bulka an expression of personal freedom? A substitute for emotional connection? A cry for attention? None of those questions seem to matter when viral content is the only thing that counts.

But this story also makes one thing painfully clear: the desperate need of a digital generation to feel something, even if it comes through absurdity.

What would we say if this happened in the U.S.?
Now imagine this same scene in the United States: a retired woman in Chicago or San Francisco, living with a hippopotamus in her house. What would the neighbors say? What about health inspectors, animal rights activists, firefighters, environmentalists?

Chances are, the story would end with a state intervention, a federal lawsuit, or an emergency animal rescue operation. Or maybe not — if it took place in a progressive state where “personal expression” trumps logic, biology, and public safety.