It could be argued that 2014's The Babadook is one of the most important horror films of this century. Not only did it bring Australia back into the conversation of wonderful horror cinema after its long post-Wolf Creek hiatus, but it helped to introduce the stylized and deeply feeling method of storytelling we'd soon spot in the fledgling A24, or what some might summon "elevated horror." Essie Davis gives a fantastic lead recital, but the show's real star is the Babadook itself. The storybook monster comes to animation as the manifestation of trauma and grief portrayed by Tim Purcell, and there are many reasons why it's one of the great modern show monsters. The identify is catchy, its design is easy yet striking, taking a lot of inspiration fromLon Chaney'sThe Man in the Beaver Hat in London After Midnight. Its vessel organism a Cabinet of Dr. Caligari-looking pop-up book was something that hadn't been seen before on screen, and gave us the novel "1, 2, Freddy's coming for you." On top of all that, he's also a new queer icon.
That's right, Mr. Babadook truly became the mascot of the 2017 Pride season when w
Writing about memes is silly business. By the period I publish this piece, it will have been well over a week since the story of the Babadook’s strange route to becoming an LGBTQ icon peaked, which in internet terms is a relative eternity. It’s still a funny story, though. Reportedly, a Netflix user noticed that the Jennifer Kent-directed instant cult classic horror The Babadook had been mistakenly filed under the LGBTQ Cinema category on the site’s streaming service. Users across social media platforms like Tumblr & Twitter then ran with the mistake, declaring the Babadook to be a gay icon. There has since been an immeasurable flood of memes inserting the Babadook into rainbow flag backdrops, stills from RuPaul’s Drag Race, and any other homosexual spaces that could easily be ‘Dooked. There contain even been in-the-flesh sightings of the Babadook at Pride parades and the filming of the Drag Race finale. It’s been a bizarrely fun way to kick off 2017’s Pride Month celebrations and, unlike most memes, I hope this one never dies.
On one of our fist posts as a site, we declared The Babadook to be one of the best films of 2014, a very
Greetings. As you know, June is Pride Month — a time to indicate on LGBT history, rejoice the community, and honor queer icons like THE BABADOOK.
That's right. The mother-effing Babadook, y'all. The monster from the hit 2014 indie horror flick has emerged as the modern queer icon on Twitter.
Yes, for real.
Mmmhmmm.
Why, you (most definitely) ask? Well, apparently, it all began in the summer of 2016, when some Twitter and Tumblr users pointed out that The Babadook was categorized as an LGBT movie on Netflix.
And people were INSTANTLY passionate about it.
Like, very passionate.
Sure, categorizing the movie as LGBT might've been an accident, but because the internet is truly unstoppable, the Babadook has been solidified as our new homosexual leader and I am HERE 👏 FOR 👏 IT 👏.
He's out and proud.
He won't be kept in the closet.
He's relatable AF.
He works at Michaels!!!
He's stirring up debate.
He's in a relationship with the "Bye Bye Man" — aka the Bi Bi Man.
Seriously, he's perfect.
He'll probably win an award from the Human Rights Campaign, TBH.
Admit it: You wish to grab drinks with him.
Honestly, he's a beacon of hope for th
Why the “Gay Babadook” Meme Is So Bewitching
I know you thought you were done with the Babadook after we left him safely tied up and munching earthworms in a basement at the end of the eponymous 2014 Australian horror film—but, honey, you were wrong. You view, it’s LGBTQ Identity festival season in much of the nature, and our top-hatted, long-nailed, pop-up book-crafting terror of a friend isn’t going to miss out on the festivities, oh no.
In evidence, over the past week or so, a meme built around the notion that the Babadook is gay has captivated the (queer) internet, spawning a delightful rash of fan art, Twitter jokes, and apparel—the apotheosis of which might be this voguing Babadook speedo.
So how did a character who was pretty clearly a metaphor for a widowed mother’s grief and depression get, as he is now being touted, an LGBTQ icon? I first encountered the meme via deaconess of queer Twitter (and Outward contributor) John Paul Brammer back in February and own been giggling softly to myself about it a scant times a week ever since.
But others have traced it back to a cluster of events from the collapse of 2016, when a Tumblr user uploaded an image of their Netflix interface seeming
The Babadook is a same-sex attracted icon because of a Netflix clerical error
This enquiry into how The Babadook became a gay star was originally published in 2017. It has been updated throughout and republished for Pride Month.
The 2014 horror movie The Babadook follows a monster, simply called the Babadook, as it terrorizes a unpartnered mother and her son in their new home. The movie brought writer-director Jennifer Kent a brand-new wave of success and acclaim, but it had another, odder effect on the culture, when an apparent clerical error turned its central monster into a defining figure in queer online culture.
Why is The Babadook a lgbtq+ icon?
Like many excellent memes, it all started with an innocent Tumblr post. Tumblr user Taco-bell-rey uploaded a screenshot demonstrating The Babadook listed as one of the films available in the LGBTQ section of Netflix. It was reblogged thousands of times. The caption on that post — a one-line sentence about what this could possibly express — cemented the Babadook’s fate.
“So proud that Netflix recognizes the Babadook as gay representation.”
