When your middle schooler’s locker gets so full they can’t shut the door, you might expect to find missing homework assignments, forgotten lunch boxes, or that gym uniform that mysteriously vanished three months ago. But for mom Megan Blankenship, her 12-year-old son Carson’s recent locker cleanout yielded something far more…confounding.
After receiving an email from the school requesting that Carson bring a trash bag to tackle his overstuffed locker, Megan knew she had to document the archaeological dig that followed. “If I did not film it, I feel like nobody would believe me,” she shared in her now-viral TikTok video that’s garnered nearly 3 million views.
The excavation started normally enough—some clothes here, some unopened school supplies there (sorry, Mom). But then came the plot twists: two TV remotes (apparently show-and-tell casualties), a rotten apple (which commenter trishachristine–who works in a middle school– assured users was “barely rotten—you lucked out!”), and the pièce de résistance—a framed photo of Nicolas Cage’s face expertly photoshopped onto Shrek’s body.
Yes, you read that right. Shrekolas Cage.
@mamameggzz Now I see why the teachers sent us an email 🙃 #momhumor #parenting #raisingboys #middleschoolersbelike #momof3 #parentinghumor ♬ original sound – Megan Blankenship🦋
When confronted with his locker’s contents, Carson, in true middle school fashion, first attempted a swift exit before deciding to embrace the absurdity of the moment. His explanation for the remotes? Show and tell requirements. The Shrekolas Cage masterpiece? Oh, simple. “Let me explain,” Carson offers. “It is Nicolas Cage as Shrek.” Um, sure, Carson. We’re going to need a little more than that. (According to Buzzfeed, Blankenship did eventually find out it came from their church’s white elephant gift exchange. Honestly, what a score.)
“One of his teachers actually said that it was ‘impressive the amount of things he was able to fit in there,’” Megan told Buzzfeed, clearly torn between exasperation and admiration for her son’s unexpected talent for locker Tetris. As commenter Skylar put it, “He worked hard to make his locker house a home.”
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Middle school teachers in the comments section quickly confirmed this kind of discovery is “100% accurate,” with commenter S.Wagner adding, “Nic Cage as Shrek goes hard. I remember kids in the Danny Dorito phase.” (We now have more questions and an even greater appreciation for middle school educators.)
Another parent, Gillian, shared solidarity with her own locker cleanout story: “My son was sick at the end of 8th grade and I had to go clean out his locker. It just had a giant papier-mâché rat in it. 😂”
The good news? The infamous Shrekolas Cage portrait has found a new home, proudly displayed in the family’s living room alongside their actual family photos. Even Carson’s kindergarten teacher popped into the comments to confirm that “he’s always been hilarious”—proof that some things never change.
As for the burning questions about the mysterious framed masterpiece that captivated TikTok? Megan hints there might be more to come: “Well now he thinks we need to start a podcast, so I’ll be sure to have this be the first episode.”
When asked about future locker maintenance, according to Buzzfeed Carson’s plan is to “just roll with it, see what happens.” And as wise commenter melissagcampbell noted, “‘He’s 12’ actually is the full explanation, friend.”
Middle school, in all its chaotic glory, strikes again.
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