Disney and Pixar’s 2002 film, “Monsters, Inc.” introduced audiences to Mike Wazowski, a green, one-eyed, round monster with two small horns. He’s often seen alongside his best friend and colleague, James P. “Sulley” Sullivan, a furry, blue monster adorned with purple spots and horns. The film has been beloved since its release, and Mike Wazowski quickly became the subject of memes. But it was his 2019 meme treatment in particular that made him evolve into an enduring internet sensation.
Mike Wazowski Meme: The origins
On July 14th, 2019, the Sulley-Core Facebook page uploaded a rather quirky image: a face swap between Mike and Sulley. This seemingly simple edit gained over 1,100 likes and 6,800 shares within the first two months of its posting, and would soon become a widespread meme.
Tom didn’t realise that the mike wazowski meme was originally a face swap pic.twitter.com/J8OvcReebC
— Chloe (@ChloFlem_) May 11, 2020
The spread of the Mike Wazowski meme: Virality takes over
In late July, Spanish-speaking audiences latched onto the face-swapped image and transformed it into a reaction meme. According to Know Your Meme, one of the earliest known adaptors of this Mike Wazowksi meme was then-Twitter user @Spotymeme, who posted a meme using the face-swapped image. By early August, the meme had spread like wildfire with new variations that edited out Sulley, leaving only Mike and his stoic expression.
Subsequently, users on platforms like Reddit joined the party. A post by Redditor Cyber_slime garnered over 3,800 upvotes, and prompted others to upload their own takes. This broad reach resulted in the image being used in a large number of memes in the following days, further increasing its popularity.
Capturing the essence of the Mike Wazowski meme
The Mike Wazowski meme wasn’t all about the face swap, but also about the feelings of nostalgia it evoked. Many users felt that Mike, with Sulley’s face, had a more philosophical, contemplative look, which allowed for it to be used as a reaction meme fin a number of different contexts.
Unintended consequences
Strangely, with the proliferation of the meme featuring Mike with Sulley’s face, a number of online users felt that the original Mike had begun to look strange.
Conclusion
The Monsters Inc. face swap resulting in this iconic Mike Wazowski meme is a testament to the unpredictable nature of internet culture. What began as a playful edit on Facebook quickly resonated with audiences worldwide, offering a fresh spin on a beloved character and giving internet users a new meme to share. The meme’s ability to tap into feelings of nostalgia while providing a canvas for various emotions has ensured its place in the vast world of internet memes.
Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance.
