Do you recall the prime early days of YouTube? When a video making the rounds was so strange, remarkable or unbelievable that it soon became ubiquitous in meme culture?
This week proved that those specks of stranger-than-fiction internet magic are still here, a reminder that David Lynch's spirit can still be found all around if you look hard enough.
Who are they? The Twinnies, gosh darn it!
- Their names are Bridgette and Paula Powers, identical twins from Queensland, Australia. They were interviewed on 7News Australia on Monday to share their account of a reported carjacking that involved their own mother.
- This isn't their first time in the spotlight. In fact, the Powers sisters have a decades-long career in Australia for their nature conservation work.
- The two got their start after dropping out of school due to health issues. One day, as they were helping a green sea turtle stranded on shore, they met Steve Irwin — of all people. After meeting them, Irwin offered them employment at the Australia Zoo.
What's the big deal? Just watch the video.
What are people saying now? The clip went viral on both TikTok and X, and people had thoughts.
This is a five-alarm fire for John Oliver staffers https://t.co/UVAHjdWzuk
— Brian Gaar (@briangaar) April 21, 2025
- Some Twinnie truthers online have theorized that the talking in perfect synchronization is an act. But the twins (and their family) say it's something they've been doing forever. In one interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the twins said, "Our brains must think alike at the same time," adding that they know it's "weird," but that it is ultimately the most comfortable way for them to be.
So, now what? Following their employment at the Australia Zoo, the sisters started their own nature rescue called the Twinnies Seabird and Pelican Rescue. They've been helping animals and preserving their habitats for more than 20 years.
Copyright 2025 NPR