Emmanuel the Emu Is Beauty, Is Grace, and Will Peck Your Camera’s Face

As a pet owner I have learned that if an animal insists on being in a certain space at a certain time, that animal’s gonna BE in that certain space at that certain time. I imagine this is the case for anyone who is in the vicinity of any animal, like, say, on a farm? With an emu? And if Liberty Mutual Insurance has taught me anything, it’s that emus are gonna do what they want.

Such is the case for an emu named Emmanuel (government name Emmanuel Todd Lopez as revealed in the TikTok below). You see, Emmanuel Todd Lopez is a bird who demands attention, and like all beautifully extra creatures who can sense when a camera has been turned on, he insists on being in your video – whether you summoned him into the shot or not.

Who is Emmanuel (and what shouldn’t he be doing?)

I first caught sight of Emmanuel in a tweet that showed a compilation of his antics. His handler, identified by Newsweek as Taylor Blake, does educational videos about the animals of Knuckle Bump Farms (who you can find on TikTok and Instagram). For some reason, Blake has decided to try and do these videos without Emmanuel, the clear star of the farm. It doesn’t take long for him to rectify her error by sauntering into every video she’s trying to make. “Emmanuel, don’t do it,” she yells until she finally gives in and tells him to “do it.” So, he does. He knocks over the camera, gives it a few pecks, and realizes that maybe that wasn’t as fulfilling as he thought it would be. That didn’t stop anyone from loving Emmanuel’s quest to be the main face on camera.

It’s not just Emmanuel (hell Princess might be worse)

The viral video (and my headline, I suppose) would lead you to believe that it’s just Emmanuel who does this to Blake. It turns out she’s dealing with a number of animals who interrupt her lessons. There’s one in particular (a deer named Princess) who licks Blake’s arm and even bites her until she gets her way. I’m convinced Princess is in on it with Emmanuel, who at one point knocks the camera over while Princess is distracting the woman. Personal bubbles? Princess doesn’t know what those are.

Are the animals just rebelling against education? There’s also a “Regina” and an “Ellen” that Blake has to worry about. Sheesh, I won’t complain about my cats ever again (note: yes I will).

Merchandise is coming, but watch out for emu imposters

It didn’t take long for folks to ask about EMMANUEL DON’T DO IT merch. Blake is actually working with a local business to get something done. This is important to keep in mind as Blake has revealed that there are already folks out there trying to capitalize off of Emmanuel, so if you’re interested in getting something, wait until Blake releases the official merch for the farm itself.

Along with that Blake has revealed that Knuckle Bump Farms does NOT have a Twitter account, as there have been accounts popping up claiming to be the farm. Blake is the one with the Twitter account, which you can check out right over here.

I for one am delighted to have had Blake, Emmanuel, and Knuckle Buck Farms enter my space (without having to knock everything over). Both Blake and Emmanuel are thankful for the support… though Emmanuel has a funny way of showing it.

(Featured image: Taylor Blake/Knuckle Buck Farms)

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Briana Lawrence

Briana (she/her - bisexual) is trying her best to cosplay as a responsible adult. Her writing tends to focus on the importance of representation, whether it’s through her multiple book series or the pieces she writes. After de-transforming from her magical girl state, she indulges in an ever-growing pile of manga, marathons too much anime, and dedicates an embarrassing amount of time to her Animal Crossing pumpkin patch (it's Halloween forever, deal with it Nook)

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