Jonathan Graziano's 13 year-old pug Overnight Noodle has been the internet's sage.
Graziano plays "no bones" with Noodle every morning, and makes a TikTok to his @jongraz account. Graziano sets Noodle in a sitting posture to check if it's a bone day. It is a bone day if Noodle can stand up. It's a no-bones day if Noodle gives in to gravity and falls into his pillow.
No bones days and bone days are signs of the future. No bones days can be a sign of good fortune, and bones days can be a sign of good luck.
Graziano is available to answer all your questions by phone in order to help you understand Noodle, bone days and no bones day.
Mashable: When was the first time you checked if there were bones days or not?
Jonathan Graziano: This is just like the little things we have done since Noodle was adopted.
He was seven years old when I adopted him. We quickly learned that he will not get up at any hour of the day, especially mornings. He will surrender to gravity and dead weight.
Noodle may have a superpower, and it's to control his density. It's called "no bones" but Noodle really doesn't like getting up. That's why I decided to leave him alone.
He will surrender to gravity and dead weight.
This has been going on for six years, and I share it every once in a while on Instagram. People can relate to it, which makes it so much fun. It's something that many dogs use in communication with us in different ways. I think it's very popular because it appeals to people. Is anyone able to do it anymore?
Do you feel like Noodle is on a bone day when you lift it up?
There are days when I feel I have a great idea. But, I must admit that I'm often wrong.
I usually can tell when he interacts with me in the mornings by the way he holds my hand and gives him belly rubs. Sometimes I feel him trying to join in, but sometimes I am wrong. On the days when I feel he might be total mush, he is like, "No man! I've got it!" He keeps me on my toes.
From where did the idea of bone days and no bone days originate?
My college best friend, one of my best friends, would go home and lay down on the couch if she didn't want do anything and her boyfriend was there. She'd tell you she didn't have any bones. Her boyfriend would then have to decide whether to leave her there or pick her up and take her out of the house. It was a really funny thing she did, and it caught on with some of her friends. We would be like, "Oh my God, I hope Nikki is boned, I hope she sees me tonight."
Noodle was my baby for many years. He would usually lie down on the couch or some other surface and I would sit him up. My goal is to get him into a comfortable seated position. He'll often say, "Joke's got you I don't," then flop back on his pillows. He goes back to sleep. He just goes back to sleep. I will be checking in on him again in an hour.
How did you make the associations of a bone day and a non-bones day?
I didn't. It was completely my fault.
The idea of bones days and non-bones days was something I thought of, but I began posting videos on TikTok and they quickly gained traction and became much bigger. People started to comment on my videos, saying things like "Oh my God it's a bone day" or "Oh my goodness, I needed a bone day, I can’t get married on no bones day." This was more accurate than their horoscopes and their local weatherman, people started to comment. This was literally made possible by the internet. This pug was the answer, according to the internet.
This was literally made possible by the internet. This pug was declared the oracle by the internet.
This dog has always scared me in reverence. It's like you see far more than I do. People now refer to him as the Oracle. We can all agree that Noodlehead is better than me in every way.
Why is this so popular?
With the positive vibes surrounding it and the number of people responding, I believe something about this was needed. I can say for myself that almost every day, I feel like I'm hanging onto a thread. Why do I get up in the morning? This sweet pug is a great help.
I don't know how many times I will wake up at 4 AM to drink water. Then I'll go on Twitter and be like, "Oh my God! I ruin my day!" It's silly but people need to be able to see if this pug is boned.
It's amazing what it has become. People have been so kind, they've been so friendly and they really get the message about how amazing senior dogs are. You know, they might not be walking around the block anymore. But let me tell ya, when we walk to the fifth house down it is a celebration. It's a wonderful day. It's so rewarding to take care of an elderly dog, especially when it's stubborn or silly like Noodle. I hope people will be more open to adopting older dogs after watching these videos.
It is overwhelming to see people stating, for example, that they cannot get married on a day without bones.
Yes, I won't lie to you. It's a lot of pressure. On Oct. 2, I had 100,000 TikTok followers. It's Oct. 19, and I'm on track to reach 2.2 million.
TikTok is an amazing place. Everyone on TikTok seems to be a genius. It's been very emotional. I love the responses and getting messages like "Every morning, my third grade class meets and watches these videos."
The woman she posted yesterday was not able to be proven, but I believe she is lying because of the content she has posted. She posted a video claiming that she took her son to the pharmacy to buy gummyworms. She had been considering buying a lottery ticket but decided against it. But, because it was a bone day, she purchased one and won $500,000. It's literally life-changing to know that she won $500,000.
Many people have also messaged me to say they need bones because their son is graduating. I love that. It is important for me to let people know that Noodle does exactly what he does. Every day is a bone day in a certain way.
Is there a day when Noodle has a bone day but you have a no-bones day?
Yes. I'm talking about the fifth floor of my apartment block, and I take Noodle up and down every step. It's an all-or-nothing day for me by the end.
It's something I love about having an older dog like Noodle and a dog that walks, gets breakfast and doesn't care what else is happening in my life. This is what keeps me grounded.
Noodle can be totally in control of my life on many days and I must let it take over.
Is it possible that Noodle is aware of his fame?
He doesn't have any idea, no. He knows he is worthy of attention. However, I doubt he has any idea that he is famous.
He might actually know these things after the past few weeks.
Are you getting stopped a lot lately?
Since I got him, at least two to three people have approached me every time I took him out on the streets. It's a joy to be able to share this adorable, silly dog with others. Noodle is my joy and it's amazing to be able to share that joy with others. He is friendly. When he wants people to say hello, he screams at them.
Okay, one last question. My coworkers from Australia wanted to know how timezones work for bone and no bone days. Is it retroactive?
This is what I'm doing because I will have days when I can't upload videos. I'm trying to prove that if there's a bone video on your FYP it's the one you should use for the day. If you are unsure whether it's a bone or not, go to my page. It's the latest video, whatever it is, that you should use.
It's almost like I'm thinking of the days that we make them mirco-eras. As if you are in a micro-bones era. For the next three days, it will be all bones. To make it even more interesting.
For Australians, if you have a bone video on your For You Page, you should go with it regardless of the date. That's when the cosmic tip doctor gave it to me. Go to my page to find the latest one.
Are there any final thoughts?
To me, it is insane. A friend sent me an article about Noodle from a Swedish newscast. I'm honest, I'm just like you. I have the account but I also kind of stare at the screen wondering what the shitt is up.
