The Labubu, the viral furry gremlin doll loved by children and fashionistas alike, made its debut at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade today — but not everyone is happy.
The wildly popular love-it-or-hate-it fashion accessory has reached global ascendence and cultural ubiquity in the past year, thanks to the social media craze surrounding the collectables from Chinese retailer Pop Mart.
Most often seen dangling off the handbags of young women, the Labubu has been blown up to 16 feet tall for the Thanksgiving Parade.
The main float, titled “Friendsgiving in Pop City,” depicts Labubu and her friends (other franchises in the Pop Mart family) enjoying a festive celebration, with Labubu and Mokoko — known for her baby-pink fur and heart-shaped nose — shown hugging a skyscraper made of wrapped presents.
Labubu domination in New York City has proved surprisingly divisive, just like the doll, with one parade viewer writing on X/Twitter: “Why tf do they have a Labubu balloon in the Macy’s parade? I will never forgive y'all for this.”
“They just said on the Macy's Day Parade... ‘Up next we have the debut of Labubu followed by K-Pop Demon Hunters’.... this is not real,” chimed another.
“What has the world come to?” questioned one person, as another viewer added: “The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade announcer saying ‘the debut of Labubu is up next’ sent a chill up my spine!”
Other viewers were simply shocked by the inclusion of the Labubu in the parade, which usually incorporates traditional characters like Pikachu and Spider-Man, writing: “Oh my god, there’s a Labubu float.”
Some quipped that the Labubu float had put them off watching the parade altogether, with one person posting this morning: “Was gonna watch the Macy’s parade until I learned there’s gonna be a f***ing Labubu float.”
Meanwhile, fans of the toy franchise said the float was “cute” and even shared pictures of themselves watching the parade in the company of their Labubu collection.
“Labubu is not evil,” one person said to its detractors. “A Little mischievous but with good intentions.”
As well as featuring in the parade, Labubu characters have spent the past two days touring New York City, with different mascots seen cruising around in the back seat of a black SUV, cheering on the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks from courtside, and taking in the views from the top of the Empire State Building.
The keyring doll, which has a fuzzy coat, freckles, rabbit-like ears, and nine spiky teeth, has proved divisive simply because of its gremlin-like appearance.
It has plenty of detractors — the main argument being that the dolls are creepy and evil-looking, not cute, and that adults shouldn’t be wearing them (since the most popular way to display the doll is on your handbag).
The Labubu has also been turned into an internet meme, with the phrase “Everything I’ve learnt about a Labubu has been against my will” going viral. Another meme depicts Meryl Streep’s The Devil Wears Prada character, the scathing Miranda Priestly, looking mockingly down at a Labubu hanging from a designer purse.
The figures, belonging to a tribe called The Monsters and created by Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung, are the latest in a long line of collectable characters from Asia, including Hello Kitty, Sonny Angel and Monchichi, that have driven the internet into a frenzy.
