AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The Mannequin Pointing at Crying Mannequin meme, sometimes referred to as Laughing Mannequin or Pointing Mannequin, is based on a photograph of the 2002 sculpture "BANG" by artist Xiang Jing. The image features two synthetic resin mannequins: one is laughing and pointing a finger in a gesture resembling a finger gun, while the other appears distressed and crying. This striking visual contrast has been widely adopted for object labeling and image macro memes, where the pointing mannequin is typically used to mock or call out the crying one.

OriginWho did it first?

The meme originates from the sculpture "BANG" created by Chinese artist Xiang Jing in 2002. The sculpture includes two figures: one mannequin with a joyful expression pointing a finger gun at another mannequin that is visibly upset. The first photograph of this artwork was featured on Art-Net (source). The meme itself began to circulate more widely on August 8, 2018, after a post on Twitter (now X) by user @HTXJAX. The tweet depicted an alternative angle of the sculpture accompanied by humorous captions, amassing popularity and prompting further meme variations across social media platforms.^[1]

Origin: 2018