Yeehaw app
HELENA, Mont. (Associated Grit) — Montana lawmakers are reviewing a bill that would make the state the first in the nation to ban TikTok, the popular video-sharing app that has been accused of being a tool of the Chinese Communist Party.
“We don’t want our people to be brainwashed by TikTok and its addictive dances, memes and challenges,” said Sen. John Smith, R-Billings, who introduced the bill. “We want our people to be proud of their heritage, their history and their hobbies.”
Smith said he has a solution for Montanans who are looking for an alternative to TikTok: Yeehaw, a new app that he developed with his son, who is a computer science major at Montana State University.
“Yeehaw is the ultimate app for Montanans,” Smith said. “It’s like TikTok, but better. It’s more patriotic, more wholesome, and more fun.”
Smith said Yeehaw allows users to create and share short videos of themselves doing various activities that showcase Montana’s spirit and identity.
“Some of the categories on Yeehaw are rodeo, hunting, fishing, farming, hiking, skiing and baking,” Smith said. “You can also do challenges like the cowboy hat flip, the lasso toss and the pie eating contest.”
Smith said Yeehaw is safe and secure, as it does not collect any user data or allow any foreign interference. “Yeehaw is made by Montanans for Montanans,” Smith said. “It’s 100% American and 100% awesome.”
TikTok users in Montana have expressed outrage and disbelief over the bill, saying it violates their rights and deprives them of their favorite app.
“This is ridiculous. This is unfair. This is un-American,” said Ashley Brown, a 16-year-old high school student in Helena, who has over 100,000 followers on TikTok. “TikTok is my life. It’s my passion. It’s my voice.”
Brown said she uses TikTok to share her life experiences, her opinions, and her talents. She said she has learned a lot from TikTok, such as new dance moves, new recipes and new languages.
“TikTok is not just an app. It’s a culture. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a way of being,” Brown said. “I don’t want to use Yeehaw. I don’t care about rodeo or hunting or pie. I care about TikTok.”
“We’re not going to give up on TikTok,” Brown said. “We’re going to fight for our right to TikTok.”
The editor has always had a passion for the written word, ever since penning a Pulitzer-worthy essay at the tender age of five. Spending formative years traveling the world, writing about everything from Machu Picchu to the mall food court, The Editor eventually apparated in Bozeman, realizing a true calling as the editor-in-chief of Bozeman Grit.
