A small, children’s book from half a century ago is now sparking much darker laughter through trending memes.
Thanks to being appropriated for a slyly bleaker meme that is hopping across platforms, companies, and politics, the cheery children’s book characters from the popular Mr. Men and Little Miss franchises have seen a new wave of virality this summer. The meme substitutes “Little Miss At My [Expletive] Breaking Point” for “Little Miss Jealous,” a character from the official series. Some social media users and creators refer to it as modern humor.
A similar basic dynamic is at play with the Little Miss meme, according to Giorgio Angelini, the filmmaker who followed the evolution of the Pepe the Frog comedy meme in the documentary “Feels Good Man”: “She’s no longer merely cranky. She is wracked with worry and melancholy as a result of global warming, the breakdown of democracies, and the perception that individuals in positions of authority are more Mr. Greedy than Mr. Actionably Concerned.
According to the website for the Mr. Men book series, British author and illustrator Roger Hargreaves started his Mr. Men series in 1971 in response to his oldest son Adam, then 8, asking, “What does a tickle look like?” The end result, “Mr. Tickle,” was the first of a group of straightforward, brilliantly colored Mr. Men characters that, according to the website, sold a million copies in just three years.
The decade saw the creation of BBC adaptations, comic books, musicals, and pleasant novels that demonstrate how a title character’s personality trait impacts their life. Following that, Hargreaves launched his Little Miss books, developing a group of individuals that, in the words of the website, “connect with a multigenerational audience via self-expression, color, simplicity, and fun.” Adam Hargreaves has been in control of the show ever since his father’s death in 1988. In more recent times, he has expanded his cast by including characters like “Mr. Calm” and drawing inspiration from stars like Miss Spice Girls.
Thanks to being appropriated for a slyly bleaker meme that is hopping across platforms, companies, and politics, the cheery children’s book characters from the popular Mr. Men and Little Miss franchises have seen a new wave of virality this summer. The meme substitutes “Little Miss At My [Expletive] Breaking Point” for “Little Miss Jealous,” a character from the official series. Some social media users and creators refer to it as modern humor.
A similar basic dynamic is at play with the Little Miss meme, according to Giorgio Angelini, the filmmaker who followed the evolution of the Pepe the Frog comedy meme in the documentary “Feels Good Man”: “She’s no longer merely cranky. She is wracked with worry and melancholy as a result of global warming, the breakdown of democracies, and the perception that individuals in positions of authority are more Mr. Greedy than Mr. Actionably Concerned.
According to the website for the Mr. Men book series, British author and illustrator Roger Hargreaves started his Mr. Men series in 1971 in response to his oldest son Adam, then 8, asking, “What does a tickle look like?” The end result, “Mr. Tickle,” was the first of a group of straightforward, brilliantly colored Mr. Men characters that, according to the website, sold a million copies in just three years.
The decade saw the creation of BBC adaptations, comic books, musicals, and pleasant novels that demonstrate how a title character’s personality trait impacts their life. Following that, Hargreaves launched his Little Miss books, developing a group of individuals that, in the words of the website, “connect with a multigenerational audience via self-expression, color, simplicity, and fun.” Adam Hargreaves has been in control of the show ever since his father’s death in 1988. In more recent times, he has expanded his cast by including characters like “Mr. Calm” and drawing inspiration from stars like Miss Spice Girls.
