What started out as a playful giggle a half-century ago is now the source of infectious darkened laughter. Thanks to their appropriation as a mischievously bleaker meme that is leaping across platforms, brands, and politics, the cheery children’s book characters from the popular Mr. Men and Little Miss franchises have experienced a new wave of virality this summer.
Some social media users and creators refer to it as modern comedy.
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, brightly colored Mr. Men characters that, according to the website, sold a million copies in just three years.
Through the decade, BBC adaptations, comic books, songs, and warmhearted books, which show readers how a title character’s personality trait affects their life, were produced.
After that, Hargreaves published his Little Miss books, creating a cast of characters that, according to the website, “identify with a multigenerational audience through self expression, color, simplicity, and humor.” Since his father’s passing in 1988, Adam Hargreaves has been in charge of the show. More recently, he has added characters like “Mr. Calm” and celebrity references like “Little Miss Spice Girls.”
According to “Juulpuppy” via email, who requested anonymity out of respect for her privacy, “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” in April. Some of her earlier “remix” posts were inspired by books for young readers, such as “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”
“Visual comedy takes advantage of unexpected pairings and I love to lean into that with all the memes I make,” continues “Juulpuppy,” who says she is a 21-year-old Brooklyn woman. “This trend is so infectious because the pairings are so ridiculous and relate to so many people. Any caption can be applied to a Little Miss image, so no one has to feel like the odd one out from this trend.”
“We get to see cute imaginary versions of ourselves and laugh together at the messy nature of our flawed personalities, which I think is very genuine and sweet.”
Some social media users and creators refer to it as modern comedy.
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, brightly colored Mr. Men characters that, according to the website, sold a million copies in just three years.
Through the decade, BBC adaptations, comic books, songs, and warmhearted books, which show readers how a title character’s personality trait affects their life, were produced.
After that, Hargreaves published his Little Miss books, creating a cast of characters that, according to the website, “identify with a multigenerational audience through self expression, color, simplicity, and humor.” Since his father’s passing in 1988, Adam Hargreaves has been in charge of the show. More recently, he has added characters like “Mr. Calm” and celebrity references like “Little Miss Spice Girls.”
According to “Juulpuppy” via email, who requested anonymity out of respect for her privacy, “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” in April. Some of her earlier “remix” posts were inspired by books for young readers, such as “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”
“Visual comedy takes advantage of unexpected pairings and I love to lean into that with all the memes I make,” continues “Juulpuppy,” who says she is a 21-year-old Brooklyn woman. “This trend is so infectious because the pairings are so ridiculous and relate to so many people. Any caption can be applied to a Little Miss image, so no one has to feel like the odd one out from this trend.”
“We get to see cute imaginary versions of ourselves and laugh together at the messy nature of our flawed personalities, which I think is very genuine and sweet.”
