The TikTok Giant: Andrew Dawson, Conspiracies, and the Cost of Going Viral

In this episode of Tinfoil Tuke from Canada Is Boring, Rhys and Jesse dive into the viral case of Andrew Dawson, the TikToker who claimed to film a giant on a BC mountainside—then later posted strange follow-ups about government agents, mysterious helicopters, and being stalked… before tragically dying a few months later.

They unpack:

The original “giant on the mountain” video near Valemount / Canoe Mountain, BC
Possible mundane explanations (CBC transmitter mast, SkyTram station, firefighting / survey helicopters)
How a creator’s mental health struggles got erased by conspiracy narratives
Why people are so drawn to giants, UFOs, Freemasons, and secret societies
The limits of public power even when we “catch it on camera”
And how Dawson’s follower count exploded after his death, just like a modern myth in real time
Along the way, they go on classic Canada Is Boring tangents about:

TikTok view inflation and opaque social media metrics
Whether governments even need to cover things up anymore
Freemasons, “gentlemen’s clubs,” and real vs imagined influence
Rhys’ family trip to Germany and Jesse’s secret Fantasia film fest date
This episode balances dark humor, skepticism, and empathy, ending on a reminder that behind every viral clip is a real human being.

0:00 – Intro: Today’s topic teased – a TikToker, a giant, and a disappearance
0:30 – Do giants exist? From Andre the Giant to biblical monsters
2:00 – Sarcasm about “mainstream science” and covering up discoveries
3:00 – Cold open / show montage: conspiracies, UFOs, Sasquatch & Canada
4:05 – Welcome to Canada Is Boring & Tinfoil Tuke; Rhys and Jesse banter
4:50 – Who was Andrew Dawson? Light-hearted TikTok content & pet crow fame
6:00 – Are TikTok views inflated? Jesse’s rant on social media numbers
8:10 – Conspiracies vs mundane explanations (and crow video incredulity)
9:00 – April 9, 2022: Filming the “giant” on Canoe Mountain near Valemount
10:30 – Watching the “giant” video: shape on the ridge & first reactions
11:30 – Possible explanation: the CBC transmitter mast on the summit
12:30 – Debunking in real time vs keeping the suspense alive
13:10 – April 11: Return to the mountain – giant gone, angle changed
14:10 – Nighttime roadblock: the “CIA / intelligence officer” stops him
15:20 – Why that second video feels more suspicious than the first
16:20 – Mysterious light in the sky & helicopter “extracting something”
17:30 – Helicopters, giants, and normal operations in BC forests
18:10 – “Being Stalked” video, 20‑day silence & claims it was all scripted
18:50 – The ominous “You might not see me post ever again” clip
19:20 – Final video: new structure on the mountain & then Dawson’s death
20:00 – The reveal: Dawson’s partner speaks about depression & fiction
21:00 – How ambiguity fuels “CIA killed him for filming a giant” theories
22:00 – If the government wanted it gone… why are the videos still up?
23:00 – Do governments even need to suppress evidence anymore?
24:00 – Giants, helicopters, Trump and the illusion of public power
25:30 – Bread and circuses: as long as basic needs are met, nothing changes
26:30 – Dawson’s follower count after death & the artist-after-death effect
27:20 – Mapping the mundane: CBC mast, SkyTram station, firefighting choppers
28:40 – Darkly funny “what if CBC was just replacing the mast” scenario
29:40 – Rhys’ anti-giant rant: logistics of giant farts, food, and lotion
31:00 – Small Talk Dimension: jingle & shift into lighter conversation
31:10 – Rhys’ Germany trip plans: hotel, pools and health buffet
32:10 – Traveling with kids, screens, and the “Victorian childhood” joke
33:00 – The strange family with no mirrors & mirror philosophy
34:10 – Jesse’s “secret date” at Fantasia Film Festival trailer night
35:20 – Expecting disappointment vs having a genuinely great date
36:20 – Back to conspiracies via real life: friend joins the Freemasons
37:00 – “Just men avoiding their wives” – what Freemasonry looked like inside
37:40 – Jesse’s own invite to the Freemasons… at a dive bar brunch
38:30 – Do Masons actually help each other “jump the queue” in society?
39:40 – How much power would a group really recruit at a Sackville dive bar?
40:20 – Gentlemen’s clubs, Mycroft Holmes vibes, and elite vetting fantasies
41:30 – Who would secret world‑runners actually recruit? Not indie filmmakers
42:30 – More Masonic speculation, airport jobs, and influence vs conspiracy
43:20 – Wrapping up: why the giant story is tragic, not mystical
44:00 – Call to listeners: voicemails, feedback on Tinfoil Tuke & outro
45:12 – End credits & theme