Many of Uncle Puppy’s social media videos begin with a shirtless old Florida man sharing a message of positivity, philosophy, and love for nature in a pond filled with lily pads. Over the past two years, his Instagram audience has grown to 1.1 million people.
In January, the previously anonymous content creator shared a clip revealing his true identity. Blair Carlyle, a 30-year-old Florida native born in Leesburg, created the Uncle Pappy character using Snapchat filters.
Carlyle decided to share his real self in order to be more open and honest with his fans, and to make a difference by working with environmental organizations and meeting people in person.
His fears that he would lose followers by revealing his identity were quickly put to rest by the outpouring of support.
“The day I posted it, I thought it could all go away,” Carlisle said. “Everyone has been kind, understanding and supportive in the comments. People have been very accepting of it. I feel like the luckiest person in the world.”
The creator’s role as Uncle Pappy began a few years ago when he created a satirical comedy character who screamed to unite America against Britain, something that started among friends on Snapchat. They encouraged him to post the video on social media.
“I just thought it was funny because it’s the kind of harmless villainy that England does so well,” he said. “I started posting it thinking nothing would happen, but it quickly became popular. Within a month, I think I had over 100,000 followers on TikTok. I didn’t expect that.”
What started as an innocuous project took a turn in June 2024 when right-wing flame monger Ben Shapiro took Uncle Puppy’s comedic comments at face value and created a reaction video to one of Uncle Puppy’s clips.
“He didn’t know it was the guy with the filter, he just thought it was a real old Florida guy,” Carlisle said. “That was kind of a wake-up call. This is the first time in my life that people are actually listening to me. So what do I want to be known for? What do I want the audience to be? What do I want to be remembered for?”
Carlisle was initially worried that pivoting her content in a more positive direction would cause her to lose followers, knowing that controversy was a big driver of engagement on social media.
“I thought my page was going to suffer, but then it went better than ever. It was really life-affirming and beautiful,” he said. “I’ve found that the opposite approach works as well. Just trying to be positive and bring people together without gathering fodder for anger or anything like that.”
Now a student of environmental law at Stetson University School of Law in St. Petersburg, Carlisle spreads encouragement and motivation to his followers while preaching a message of caring for the natural world. He also talks about laws and current events that harm Florida’s public lands and wild spaces.
“I know it’s very ironic, but I’m not a big fan of social media. I think it’s making the world worse, not better. At the same time, I feel like it’s like a kind of fire that can burn down a village, but it can also cook food,” he said. “When I think about my position, I can use this fire for good, so I think, ‘Let’s make some delicious food with this fire.'”
Growing up in central Florida, Carlyle loved nature and learned how to protect it from his grandparents. His grandmother started a local movement to save the natural area near Lake Harris.
“When I was a kid, there were a lot of oranges here. I went fishing and quail hunting with my grandfather. I always loved spending time in nature,” he said. “When I was a kid, I remember my grandmother explaining to me what she was doing. I thought, ‘Oh, I didn’t know the natural world needed us to protect it,’ because it always seemed to be there. I also thought humans could protect the natural world over time.”
Now that he has revealed his identity, Carlisle is embarking on an 8,000-mile summer road trip from Los Angeles to the Everglades with the nonprofit organization United by Nature to raise awareness about water issues.
When he’s not busy with school or Uncle Pappy’s projects, Carlisle plays in the band CB Carlisle & the Desert Angels, spends his time woodworking, building tables, and writing. He also dreams of hosting a late-night radio show and running for governor of Florida.
As Carlyle juggles his identity and shares videos as both personas, he realizes that Uncle Pappy represents the best version of himself.
“What would life be like if we just listened to the really good moral compass that we all have? That’s what Pappy is to me. He’s like a guiding light that I can turn to for advice,” Carlisle said. “I truly feel like the luckiest person in the world. I don’t know how it happened, because it just merged everything I love into one life.”
Find @PConnPie on Instagram or email pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com. Stay up to date on travel, arts and events by subscribing to our newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.
