When British author and illustrator Roger Hargreaves created the “Mr. Men” series in 1971, the last thing he expected of the series was for it to become an internet meme 50 years later.
The “Little Miss” and “Mr. Men” franchises have become viral over the summer, with people using the cover art of the books and replacing words in the title, such as Hargreaves’ original, “Little Miss Jealous” becoming “Little Miss At My [Expletive] Breaking Point.”
“[Little Miss] is no longer just grumpy. She’s reeling from anxiety and depression because the world is warming, democracies are crumbling, and those in power seem to be more Mr. Greedy than Mr. Actionably Concerned,” says Giorgio Angelini, filmmaker of the documentary “Feels Good Man.”
The “Mr. Men” series started with “Mr. Tickle,” when Hargreaves’ son asked what a tickle looked like. “Mr. Tickle” was the cornerstone of a quick-to-fame series of books featuring brightly colored characters named after different personality traits. “Mr. Men” sold over a million copies within three years.
“Little Miss” was a spinoff published after “Mr. Men’s” fame. Many fans identified with the characters in Hargreaves’ books, despite them simply being blobs of different colors and shapes.
Hargreaves’ franchise came full circle as his son Adam began writing the books after Roger’s death in 1988. Adam, the same son who inspired “Mr. Tickle,” recently added characters like “Mr. Calm” or took inspiration from celebrities with “Little Miss Spice Girls.”
Nicole Gagliardi, the creator of the “LittleMissNotesApp” Instagram account, has attracted over 2 million followers by altering and posting onto Instagram the titles of Hargreaves’ books, resulting in new titles like “Little Miss Aggressive Drunk” or “Mr. Receding Hairline.”
“I think people resonate with this meme for the same reason they like knowing their personality type or zodiac sign: They like seeing something that they can identify with, and there’s something for everyone,” said Gagliardi.
The Instagram account “JuulPuppy” was credited by Gagliardi as inspiration. The account began posting “Little Miss” memes in early spring.
“A lot of the memes I was making were pretty dark, and I wanted to make a relatable meme that didn’t take itself too seriously,” says “JuulPuppy,” choosing to stay anonymous for her privacy. “Visual comedy takes advantage of unexpected pairings and I love to lean into that with all the memes I make.”
The “Little Miss” and “Mr. Men” franchises have become viral over the summer, with people using the cover art of the books and replacing words in the title, such as Hargreaves’ original, “Little Miss Jealous” becoming “Little Miss At My [Expletive] Breaking Point.”
“[Little Miss] is no longer just grumpy. She’s reeling from anxiety and depression because the world is warming, democracies are crumbling, and those in power seem to be more Mr. Greedy than Mr. Actionably Concerned,” says Giorgio Angelini, filmmaker of the documentary “Feels Good Man.”
The “Mr. Men” series started with “Mr. Tickle,” when Hargreaves’ son asked what a tickle looked like. “Mr. Tickle” was the cornerstone of a quick-to-fame series of books featuring brightly colored characters named after different personality traits. “Mr. Men” sold over a million copies within three years.
“Little Miss” was a spinoff published after “Mr. Men’s” fame. Many fans identified with the characters in Hargreaves’ books, despite them simply being blobs of different colors and shapes.
Hargreaves’ franchise came full circle as his son Adam began writing the books after Roger’s death in 1988. Adam, the same son who inspired “Mr. Tickle,” recently added characters like “Mr. Calm” or took inspiration from celebrities with “Little Miss Spice Girls.”
Nicole Gagliardi, the creator of the “LittleMissNotesApp” Instagram account, has attracted over 2 million followers by altering and posting onto Instagram the titles of Hargreaves’ books, resulting in new titles like “Little Miss Aggressive Drunk” or “Mr. Receding Hairline.”
“I think people resonate with this meme for the same reason they like knowing their personality type or zodiac sign: They like seeing something that they can identify with, and there’s something for everyone,” said Gagliardi.
The Instagram account “JuulPuppy” was credited by Gagliardi as inspiration. The account began posting “Little Miss” memes in early spring.
“A lot of the memes I was making were pretty dark, and I wanted to make a relatable meme that didn’t take itself too seriously,” says “JuulPuppy,” choosing to stay anonymous for her privacy. “Visual comedy takes advantage of unexpected pairings and I love to lean into that with all the memes I make.”
