Kristi Noem Names Viral ‘Corn Kid’ a ‘Corn-Bassador’ of South Dakota: ‘Outstanding Young Man’

A seven-year-old boy, who once believed corn was not real, was officially named South Dako
Governor Kristi Noem/Twitter
Ethan Letkeman

A seven-year-old boy, who once believed corn was not real, was officially named South Dakota’s “Corn-bassador” by Gov. Kristi Noem (R).

Noem declared in an executive proclamation that Saturday, September 3, 2022, be “Official Corn-Bassador Tariq Day” and called Tariq, also widely known as “corn kid,” an “outstanding young man.”

Tariq became a viral sensation after he was featured on Recess Therapy’s YouTube channel on August 4, where he gushed about his love for corn.

“I love corn,” he exclaimed. “I mean look at this thing. I can’t imagine a more beautiful thing!”

Tariq, whose last name was not made public for privacy reasons, told Recess Therapy that ever since he was told corn is real, it became one of his favorite things.

When asked to describe corn to someone who has never tasted it before, Tariq explained it is a “big lump with knobs [and] juice.”

The video of the adorable seven-year-old talking about how much he loves corn went viral and currently has over 3.3 million views on YouTube, with the same version on TikTok receiving over 23 million views.

Tariq’s fascination with corn was even made into a song by music producer Shmoyoho and has received a whopping 69 million views on TikTok.

@schmoyoho intro song for any meal/snack with corn – from iconic interview on @doingthings ♬ It’s Corn – Tariq & The Gregory Brothers & Recess Therapy

As Tariq was becoming an internet sensation, he was invited by Noem to South Dakota — one of the largest corn producers in the world — to Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.

A video released by the state’s TikTok account showed Tariq seeming as if he was right at home while enjoying the Corn Palace on Saturday.

@southdakota He’s got the juice! #itscorn #cornkid #recesstherapy ♬ original sound – Doing Things

Tariq, who traveled with his family from New York, was officially named the state’s “corn-bassador” during a ceremony at the palace.

An official with South Dakota’s Department of Tourism told NPR that Tariq was amazed and “couldn’t believe it” when he saw the palace made of corn.

“It’s a dream come true!” Tariq said.

Along with traveling to South Dakota, Tariq also was invited to appear at the premiere for the live-action release of Pinocchio and was recently featured in a hype video for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers athletics department, NBC News noted.

You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.

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