A YouTube creator who attempted to play a prank on one of Tesla's humanoid Optimus robots at the company's Hollywood diner found himself on the receiving end of the joke instead, in a moment captured on video that has continued to circulate widely across social media.

The incident took place at the Tesla Diner and Drive-In in Hollywood, California, where Tesla has been testing second-generation Optimus robots in real-world customer-facing scenarios. At the retro-styled diner, one black-colored Optimus unit has been assigned a specific role: serving popcorn to visitors, a task that has earned the robot the informal nickname "Poptimus" among Tesla enthusiasts and diner staff.

A YouTuber tried to troll Tesla’s Optimus robot but ended up getting trolled right back. 😂 pic.twitter.com/6cH5viVgaE— Sarah Parker (@Sarahparkeee) August 6, 2026

A YouTuber tried to troll Tesla’s Optimus robot but ended up getting trolled right back. 😂 pic.twitter.com/6cH5viVgaE

The Prank That Backfired

The viral moment centers on a visitor known online as Channel Korean Jay, a YouTuber who goes by the handle "Jay" on his video channels and social media accounts. According to accounts of the interaction, Jay attempted to prank the robot while it was in the process of handing him a container of popcorn, apparently pulling his hand back or otherwise interrupting the handoff in an effort to get a reaction out of the machine.

Rather than simply completing the transaction as programmed, Optimus responded by mirroring the exact behavior it had just been shown. Video of the interaction shows the robot pulling its own hand back twice before finally handing the popcorn over to Jay, effectively replicating the teasing motion it had........

© International Business Times