If you’re constantly online like I am, then you’ve likely seen the “Little Miss” memes clogging up your Instagram feed and TikTok FYP — but, also like me, you’re likely not complaining. (Also, a quick apology to my friends and coworkers who I’ve been sending these memes to on a daily basis.)
Both clever and silly, the viral “Little Miss” memes are the absolute epitome of Instagram and TikTok humor, with creators calling themselves — and others — out. Sure, we had the American Girl doll memes, which are a close second, in my humble opinion — but the “Little Miss” memes are on a whole other level. No one is safe, and yet, everyone is in on the joke.
Originating from Instagram creator @juulpuppy, the “Little Miss” memes are dominating both Instagram and TikTok, and fortunately, they don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Here’s where the “Little Miss” memes came from and everything else you need to know about the viral meme trend.
The origin of the “Little Miss” Memes
The origin of this trend goes way back to 1971, when copywriter and cartoonist Roger Hargreaves invented Mr. Tickle and spearheaded the Mr. Men book series. The character Mr. Tickle was inspired by a question asked by Hargreaves’ son, which was, “What does a tickle look like?” And so, Mr. Tickle — a yellow, squiggly man donning an adorable blue top hat — was born. (Personally not what I would have thought a tickle would look like, but hey, to each their own.)
The series quickly grew in popularity, turning into a BBC television show by 1974 and a comic strip series by 1977. In 1981, the Little Miss books hit shelves, with characters like “Little Miss Bossy,” “Little Miss Naughty,” and “Little Miss Sunshine” claiming the hearts of readers worldwide. The Mr. Men and Little Miss characters celebrated their 50th anniversary last year, and now, in 2022, they’ve all been meme-ified. Isn’t it funny how that works?
Instagram meme creator @juulpuppy invented the trend, creating iconic memes such as (but not limited to) “Little Miss Borderline Personality Disorder” and “Mr. Receding Hairline.” However, the meme creator has been largely uncredited for their work, with Instagram creators like @littlemissnotesapp and others dominating the viral trend.
The trend that went viral
After gaining traction on numerous larger Instagram accounts, smaller creators and users began hopping on the trend to make incredibly niche characters, like “Little Miss Phone Eats First,” “Little Miss Cried When Zayn Left,” and “Little Miss Just Let Her Sleep Or She’ll Be Cranky” (I personally feel called out on this one). Creator @starbucksslayqueen was also quick to master the trend and seriously call people out, posting characters like “Mr. Loves To Cook But Orders Delivery Every Night,” “Little Miss Emotionally Unavailable,” “Little Miss My Tummy Hurts” (me, almost always), and “Little Miss Matilda By Harry Styles.” Really, @starbucksslayqueen, this isn’t funny anymore.
Influencers even began to hop on the trend, with Eli Rallo inventing “Little Miss Sorority Dropout,” “Little Miss Oat Milk Latte Cream Cheese Bagel,” and “Little Miss Miralax,” and Lexie Lombard creating “Little Miss Embarrassed To Read Colleen Hoover” and “Little Miss Makes Hot Tea And Doesn’t Drink It” (also me).
Creators also began to make Mx. and Little Mx characters to be more gender-inclusive, like “Mx. Scrolls IG Instead Of Reading,” “Mx. Leg Tapper,” and “Mx. Can’t Be Too Honest With Their Therapist.”
The trend quickly spilled over to TikTok, with creators calling their friends out and getting very specific. User @bitterblunts called out their exes as Little Miss and Mr. characters, while other creators have even been calling themselves out.
Ultimately, considering this trend has traversed nearly every social media app in existence over the past few weeks, it’s unlikely to go away any time soon. So, sorry to my friends, family, and coworkers, but you’ll likely still be getting DMs of these memes from me for at least another week or two, because I am “Little Miss Sends Little Miss Memes To Everyone She Knows On A Daily Basis.”