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Internet Culture

Penis-man statues at the Olympics are a gold-medal meme

This meme turned a dick joke into art.

Photo of Jay Hathaway

Jay Hathaway

These Bullet Men Statues Are the Biggest Meme at the Winter Olympics

The surprise stars of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, aren’t the elite competitors in the games, but the phallic statues outside. These buff men with unmistakably penis-like heads, officially called “Bullet Men,” have become a huge meme in Japan.

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Japanese memers call them “#モルゲッソヨ,” pronounced “morugessoyo.” It means “I have no idea” in Korean.

The three statues have been in place at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Center since 2009, BuzzFeed reported. They supposedly represent “the desire for a cool body,” but the Japanese internet finds them more hilarious than cool. Funny Photoshops, videos, and fanart are everywhere.

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On legendary Japanese message board 2ch, ASCII-art versions are especially popular:

https://twitter.com/clockwork_peach/status/961636622465826818

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And on Twitter, various parody images are going wild.  Check out the Silver Surfer version:

https://twitter.com/wakuteka_the1st/status/961759962912325632

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The cycling version:

The cute mascot version:

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There are several jokes about Diglett, a character from Pokémon:

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And many takes on the crazy duo of Pipimi and Popuko from the meme anime Pop Team Epic.

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https://twitter.com/saida_kazuaki/status/962254696910962690

When Japanese memers find something that resonates, they really go all out. The Bullet Men meme is truly a multimedia experience, involving everything from cosplay to action figures to latte art to… interpretive dance?

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https://twitter.com/george_10g/status/961778657374101504

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Sure, it’s a giant dick joke, but it’s been elevated and made magical through craftsmanship and a playful sense of humor. The Olympics have only just started, but the Bullet Men are the early frontrunners for the best meme out of Pyeongchang.

 
The Daily Dot