Going Viral Doesn’t Mean You Own It. Inside The ‘TENDERNISM’ Trademark War

Few viral nutrient trends person captured nationalist imaginativeness the mode “TENDERNISM” has. The word exploded crossed TikTok and Instagram arsenic viewers watched an older man — known affectionately arsenic “Unc” oregon “Mr. Tendernism” — dramatically trial smoked meats to spot whether they were genuinely fall-off-the-bone tender.

But now, the operation astatine the bosom of this viral improvement has go the halfway of a multiparty trademark quality involving Walter Johnson (aka “Unc”), Diamond Smokehouse Enterprises Inc., and lawyer Kenneth Harris. This is simply a communicative astir virality, intelligence property, and a cautionary communicative for creators and businesses who hold excessively agelong to support what they build.

Who is ‘Unc’? Meet Walter ‘Mr. Tendernism’ Johnson

According to aggregate reports, the antheral down the operation is Walter Johnson, a erstwhile unit subordinate astatine Destination Smokehouse, a California-based barbecue edifice whose videos precocious went viral. Johnson is wide credited with coining the word “TENDERNISM,” describing nutrient that is truthful tender “you don’t request nary teeth.”

Johnson — often referred to arsenic “Unc” — became a viral sensation for his charismatic demonstrations of tenderness tests, which garnered millions of views. His popularity grew adjacent further aft attraction from ample creators specified arsenic @Jordan_the_stallion8 and nutrient professional Keith Lee, who traveled to the edifice specifically to conscionable the antheral down the movement.

Diamond Smokehouse Enterprises Inc.: The Business Behind the Brand

Diamond Smokehouse Enterprises Inc., located successful Murrieta, California, is associated with the Destination Smokehouse marque — wherever Johnson worked and wherever the Tendernism improvement took root. The institution is present asserting that it — not immoderate extracurricular enactment — is the rightful proprietor of the TENDERNISM people due to the fact that it has been utilizing the operation commercially successful transportation with its edifice operations and branded merchandise.

The Trademark Filings: Two Sides, Four Applications

However, erstwhile it came to filing a trademark exertion with the United authorities Trademark Office, a North Carolina-based lawyer named Kenneth Harris, bushed Diamond Smokehouse and Johnson to the punch. On Nov. 21, 2025, lawyer Kenneth Harris filed 2 trademark applications for TENDERNISM, some connected an Intent-to-Use (ITU) basis:

• Application Serial No. 99510317 (ITU) in people 43 for edifice services.

• Application Serial No. 99498965 (ITU) in people 25 for clothing.

Notably, Mr. Harris has not submitted immoderate impervious of use of the TENDERNISM trademark, meaning helium does not yet person immoderate ineligible usage successful commerce associated with the mark. Some nationalist reports suggest that Harris whitethorn person reached retired to “Unc” to connection the trademark filings to him or leverage them for concern purposes. While this assertion remains unverified, it has circulated wide online.