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It’s corn! Well, actually, it’s Corn Kid, a.k.a. Tariq, the cherubic youngster who hit viral fame last August after charming the entire internet with his enthusiasm for those good ol’ namesake ears during a “Recess Therapy” interview with host Julian Shapiro-Barnum.
Now, he's publicly praising not only corn but the corn-themed Broadway musical Shucked! ahead of the 76th annual Tony Awards, which will be held on Sunday, June 11, at the historic United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights (a setting switch-up from the award show's usual Radio City Music Hall) and available to watch on CBS and Paramount+. The "farm-to-fable" comedy, about the residents of Cobb County dealing with a blight of the titular crop, is nominated for nine awards at Sunday's ceremony, including Best Musical.
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“I like to think I’m the authority on all things corn and June 11 is National Corn on the Cob Day. This is only the third time in the Tony Awards’ 76-year-history that the ceremony has fallen on June 11 and the only time that a nominated show is just about corn," Tariq said during a statement outside the Nederlander Theatre. "I’m sorry, but that cannot be a coincidence. It would be a hugely missed opportunity if Shucked were not crowned Best Musical on National Corn on the Cob Day."
"I haven’t had a chance to see any of the other shows in that category, and I’m sure they’re great, but what I understand is they don’t even mention corn?" the seven-year-old continued. "Non-corn shows have had a great run for 75 years, but I think it’s high time we let them cross the finish line and give corn a chance to win the race!”
It's not the first time that Tariq has come out in support of Shucked!—he attended the musical's premiere in April, walked the red carpet and was even timed shucking an ear of corn. (He did so in an impressive 21 seconds.) The second grader wrote about the experience on his TikTok: "Tonight was absolutely CORNNNTASTICCC 🌽."