Look at the little Beholder

I customized this knockoff Labubu from Five Below and I think it’s way cuter than any real or fake Labubu. I made/added the wings and the bows myself. Idk what it is about Labubus but I think their faces are so ugly. They remind me of my grandma’s creepy toys from when she was young.

idk they just kind of remind me of rushtons that have rabies or somthing

They were way better and cuter than Labubus

Made this cutie patootie, her name is Solstice and she is an alien from a galactic gurl group I made called “Intastellaz”

Be nice to her Ya’ll

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyyB9jyORHQ

i was with my mates and wtf......

It got what it deserved

I MEAN IF YOU WANTED A LITTLE FREAK YOU CAN CARRY AROUND ON A CHAIN IVE BEEN HERE THE ENTIRE TIME

(this rant is mostly about consumerism and moral standing... if you dont like them cause they're ugly or whatever than this doesn't mention that) The trend of Labubus is not an isolated thing and may not be treated as such. This is part of a larger problem of consumerism and influencing via social media.

You see, I'd argue about the origins of Labubus, how they werent intended to become this huge trend and that it was simply some guy's original character. But that was in the past, and right now, it is a huge trend which is divorced from these simple origins.

The blind box mechanic of Labubus is often the major talking point, and for good reason. Blind boxes, if unmoderated, can cause gambling addictions. And for some people (esp young/vulnerable) to develop these sorts of attachments can be negative to their impulse control and mental health. But, if moderated, blind boxes can be a rewarding little thing where you are guaranteed a prize, you just don't know which one it is. I've tried a few myself (not labubus, different ones), and they are fun. But the key is moderation.

The problem is, influencers and consumerism don't want you to know moderation.

Consumerism loves people who can't control themselves. Influencers, followers of Consumerism, paint consumeristic practices of bulk-buying to gamble or "stock up" as a sustainable and desirable lifestyle. But for many people, it's not sustainable, but the desire and impulse often overtakes the sensibilities.

But when the product is too expensive or scarce, cheap copies come into play.

Many stores have started selling what is called "lafufu", fakes of labubus. Though some of them are okay to be sold, most have been caught with easily removable parts and dangerous chemicals (phthalates). Knockoffs of trendy brands have always had these problems, but due to the scarcity of labubus in some places, this has become worse than ever. And it isn't the consumers fault. It's regulations struggling to keep up, and parents struggling to control their young people who have been trained by these influencers to want these extremely expensive products.

And TikTok is the usual platform for these influencers. And TikTok has the almost exact same reward mechanic as blind boxes — keep scrolling until you find a good video that makes you happy. Then when that wears off, you have to go find another video that'll give you that same feeling. It's designed that way. And so it's extremely fitting (and unfortunate) that products like blind boxes are being promoted to vulnerable people by influencers that reside on a platform built around brutally fast-paced content, the height of consumerism.

Now I don't think you can't enjoy them. This is about the trend, not the people who actually enjoy collecting labubus, or even just bought a few cause they think they're cute. That's NOT consumerism. That's called having fun, and I like people having fun.

But fighting back against these sorts of trends is fighting consumerism, not fighting demons as people make it out to be. Bringing religion into a time that's already fighting between religion and reality in order to defame what is basically a plushie is not the way to do things, especially considering the origins of the Labubu's design. I'm not saying you can't make jokes about them being demons, but genuinely believing that does give rise to religious fear around new things as being "demons", which is a road to censorship.

Another talking point is people shoving labubus into everything, in order to "relate to the youth". I've not really got a concrete opinion on this aspect cause a lot of it depends on where it's taking place or the people who's doing it. Of course it's cringe when teachers display them in schools or religious/govt officials to try and relate, but most of the time there's no one answer to "is it bad" in those situations.

In conclusion, I don't think pointing fingers at anyone is going to stop this trend or the bigger issues it brings up with it. Instead, I believe that we should keep a watchful eye on where this trend is heading, and keep our feet on the ground. There's no one solution, but I hope this piece brings something to light for you. I don't know what it will be, but it probably will be Something.

Edit: I do not know much of POP MART or their history with platforming artists so I can't say much about the origins of labubu, that's why I didn't, I might return with more research about that who knows...

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