Mannequin Pointing at Crying Mannequin / This MF Paid For Twitter

Submission 21,133

Part of a series on Object Labeling. [View Related Entries]

About

Mannequin Pointing at Crying Mannequin, also called Laughing Mannequin or Pointing Mannequin, is an object-labeling and image macro meme format using a photo of artist Xiang Jing's 2002 sculpture "BANG" showing a laughing mannequin pointing at a crying mannequin with a finger gun. In 2018, people started to use the image in jokes about one person calling another one out for something and mocking them. In November 2022, a version of the meme reading "this mf paid for Twitter" started going around in regards to Elon Musk's Twitter acquisition and the Twitter $8 Blue Checkmark fee.

Origin

In 2002, Chinese artist Xiang Jing created a sculpture called "BANG" that consists of two statues or mannequins, with one smiling and pointing a finger in a finger-gun shape at another that is crying and cowering. An angle of the piece was initially posted to Art-Net^[1] (shown below, left). On August 8th, 2018, Twitter^[2] user @HTXJAX then posted an image caption meme using an alternate angle of the sculptures, writing, “AYE YALL THIS NIGGA NOAH SAID IT’S FINNA RAIN. COME LOOK AT THIS BOAT HE BUILDING," garnering over 260 likes in four years (shown below, right). On August 9th, the meme was reposted to /r/BlackPeopleTwitter,^[3] garnering over 6,400 upvotes in the same span of time.

Spread

On August 10th, 2018, Twitter^[4] user and EDM DJ Diplo posted an original tweet using the meme, garnering over 2,600 likes in four years (shown below).

On August 13th, Twitter^[5] user @david_ofuho posted a version of the image where the pointing mannequin represents Australia and the crying one America, writing, “THESE NIGGAS WORK FOR 8HOURS TO MAKE $50😂😂😭,” garnering over 490 likes in four years. The meme was reposted to /r/BlackPeopleTwitter^[6] that day, garnering over 3,600 upvotes in the same span of time. On August 20th, Twitter user @DDotOmen responded to a tweet by Nicki Minaj where she calls Harriet Tubman a queen with a version of the meme showing Tubman pointing at Minaj, garnering over 2,200 likes in four years (shown below, right).

On April 29th, 2020, Twitter^[7] user @juicestew22 posted the meme, writing, “SHE DONT JUMP TO PUT HER JEANS ON," garnering over 140,000 likes and 36,000 retweets in two years (shown below).

This MF Paid For Twitter

On April 25th, 2022, Twitter^[8] user @paricyte posted a version of the meme where the pointer says, "this mf paid for Twitter," with the crying mannequin representing Elon Musk, garnering over 4,000 likes in seven months (shown below, left). On November 3rd, following Elon's announcement that you can pay $8 for a verified Twitter account, Facebook^[9] page Political Atheist posted a version of the meme where the pointer has the same label and the crier is labeled with a verified checkmark, garnering over 1,200 reactions and 290 shares in a week (shown below, right).

On November 9th, Twitter^[10] user @MattBinder tweeted that Twitter essentially built the "this mf paid for Twitter" meme into Twitter Blue, referring to the fact that you can click someone's checkmark and see whether they bought it or were awarded it, garnering over 45,000 likes in two days. The original meme was reposted by the Mashable Instagram^[11] page on November 10th, garnering over 3,000 likes in a day.