This horrifying monster is now a heartwarming LGBT meme
He’s a slightly unlikely gay icon.
But thanks to a hilarious Netflix mix-up, a murderous fictional creature has become a widespread LGBT meme.
The Babadook, who terrorises a mother and son in the 2014 Australian-Canadian psychological horror film of the same name, was outed by Netflix earlier this year.
Or at least, that was when a user pointed out on Tumblr that the ostensibly terrifying film had been included in the streaming service’s LGBT Movies category.
People were tickled by the idea that a film about a bloodthirsty character who (spoiler alert) kills animals and tries to murder a child could be classed as LGBT.
But then, because the internet – and particularly Tumblr – is full of magic, fans started rallying around the Babadook’s brave decision to reveal his sexuality.
And I don’t know about you, but I’m babashook.
This so-called monster is an outsider.
He’s been exiled from society, simply because he’s different and scary to most people.
But the Babadook deserves love just as much as anyone.
And when he realised that, he found his true self.
Omg I am babashook pic.twitter.com/1Mwp9SZ8ZX
— Tyler Walczak (@tylerwalczak) May 29, 2017
This month’s cover of @Time, happy pride 2017 to my community. #acceptance pic.twitter.com/e7semKMEbh
— Gay Babadook (@babadookgay) June 9, 2017
And once BuzzFeed journalist and internet aficionado Ryan Broderick tweeted about the meme, Twitter flooded to it – slowly at first, then all at once.
my new favorite Tumblr meme is insisting that The Babadook is gay pic.twitter.com/Id1PJpkkgX
— Ryan Broderick (@broderick) February 15, 2017
Look at the community swarm around this “monster” – not to kill him, but to raise him up.
They took him into their hearts.
My current favorite meme is the “The Babadook is a proud gay man” meme. Look @ this and tell me it’s not great. pic.twitter.com/mr44FjW8fd
— Teresa Graziano (@TeresaGraz) May 18, 2017
The B in “Side B” stands for Babadook. pic.twitter.com/bRPc0y1fKI
— Queer Xicano Chisme (@QueerXiChisme) June 8, 2017
Hopefully it’s not too late to hop on the gay Babadook train. pic.twitter.com/mt2yGLqCZs
— Kurt-Randle McCipher (@massSlaughterer) June 9, 2017
Weird that most of Comey’s testimony is about how the Babadook became a gay icon
— Adam Goldman (@theadamgoldman) June 7, 2017
now he’s falling asleep
and she’s calling a cab
and the babadook’s gay
and they’re both really glad— alexis nedd (@alexisthenedd) June 7, 2017
suddenly life has meaning. #BabaSHOOK pic.twitter.com/0lm5lnIPkj
— John Cleland (@jcleland29) June 9, 2017
*Wipes a tear away*
It’s just so beautiful that a misunderstood antagonist – who, admittedly, is literally a killer – could still find acceptance in a welcoming community.
His image has been completely turned around, and now, maybe he can find peace within himself too.
Because haven’t we all felt like monsters at one time or another?
