Sounds Like A Cult - The Cult of Labubu

Episode Date: August 5, 2025

This week, Chelsea, Amanda, and Reese dive headfirst into the wide-eyed, snaggletoothed, pastel-smeared world of Labubu…the culty vinyl toy phenomenon taking over your explore page and possibly your wallet. What started as a mischievous creature from the mind of Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung has exploded into a full-blown lifestyle, complete with blind box rituals, resale hierarchies, and people tattooing their favorite figures like emotional support goblins.  This week, we’re exploring why Labubu has become the new “plastic crack” for millennials and Gen Z…maybe a soft, silent symbol of comfort in chaotic times? Labubu’s got a grip. And it’s cute. And it’s a little creepy. And it might be the face of late-stage capitalism. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Go to https://Adamandeve.com and select any one item. Enter offer code SLAC at checkout. This is exclusive offer specific to this podcast so be sure to use this code SLAC to get your discount, 100% Free Shipping and get it fast with Rush Processing - Code SLAC! Please consider donating to those affected by ICE activity in the LA Area. Team SLAC are donating to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, an LA-based immigrant rights organization providing legal services, policy advocacy, and direct aid to those most impacted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is Trixie Mattel, co-host of The Bald and the Beautiful podcast, drag queen and Amazon Prime enthusiast. And I'm Katya, interpretive dancer, chaos agent, and someone who orders from Amazon Prime more often than I check my email. That's true. Yeah. Prime gives us fast delivery that makes unpacking almost glamorous, endless streaming of our favorite shows, which we call research, and music playlists that are both chaotic and calming. Prime isn't just convenient, it's a gateway to trying new things. It helps us discover new obsessions and dive deeper into old ones.

From one day delivery to top shows to music, whatever you're into, it's on Prime. Visit amazon.ca slash prime to get more out of whatever you're into. Oh, hello there. Would you like to add some enjoyment and pleasure to your life? You can do so easily with Adam and Eve.

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only. Hi Sounds Like A Cult, my name is Bella, I'm calling from Cincinnati, Ohio. I think what makes la boo boos so culty is that first of all, they popped up out of nowhere and then seemingly took off in the same way that like beanie babies, furbies, boobas if you remember those, like all of those things are basically the same thing as a labubu. And for me it definitely started off as like what is going on this is an ugly weird thing to be spending money on and it is so ugly that it has now become cute again and I think that is what makes it incredibly culty. Hi Sounds Like a Cult, my name's Robyn, I'm calling from Glasgow, Scotland. I think labubu dolls, bears, I don't even know what to call them, I think they're quite culty

because first of all, why on earth are we carrying these haunted little bears around on our backs? Like bag charms have been on the rise for a wee bit but it's the fact that everyone has to have this specific brand of charm. They are so scary, they look haunted, I hate them, they need an exorcism. People who have never worn back charms need them suddenly because they're like a status symbol thing. And I think the fact that they're now selling fake labooboos. Like I went into a corner shop the other day and they had like fake labooboos. I don't know what they are. And it's just like this cult status thing. Why? This is Sounds Like a Cult, a show about the modern-day cults we all follow.

I'm your host Amanda Montel, author of the book Cultish, out now in paperback. And I'm your co-host Chelsea Charles, an unscripted TV producer and lifelong student of pop culture sociology. I'm your other co-host Reese Oliver, Sounds Like a Cult's resident rhetoric scholar. Every week on our show, we discuss a different zeitgeist-y group that puts the cult in culture, from chiropractors to Costco, to try and answer the big question. This group sounds like a cult categories does it fall into? A live your life, a watch your back, or a get the fuck out?

After all, cultish influence falls along a spectrum these days, a continuum, and it doesn't always look the same. Some modern day groups seem super fringy and ritualistic, but are actually relatively harmless. But then you've got hardcore fandoms, buzzy brands, and other contemporary communities that don't seem that culty on the outside, but actually have a lot more in common with high control groups than you might think.

And that is what this show is all about. Lightheartedly analyzing the culty ways we find connection and belonging these days. This week's cult, a serotonin soaked fever dream built on pastel monsters, plastic crack, and emotional support unboxings, with just enough chaos to make you wonder when exactly toys stopped being for kids.

Indeed, we at this point feel downright coerced by the culture into covering Labooboo, the snaggletooth vinyl gremlin who might be quietly taking over your explore page and possibly your disposable income. Whether you're hunting the glow in the dark chase figure, or you're just here to learn what the fuck is going on with this creepy new trend, just know Labooboo isn't simply a collectible. It's a lifestyle, allegedly. And stay tuned, because it's even now the source of a satanic panic style demon conspiracy theory. What a time to be alive. But apparently even the most innocent

corners of this new Labooboo culture come with their own economy, hierarchy, and code of conduct. This week, we're going to try to figure out if Labubu is just another flash in the pan cult followed consumerist phenomenon or actually something more sinister. My culty hosties. I have to throw this out there. A listener started calling us culty hosties and I do feel like ultimately it sounds like a Twinkie style packaged highly processed pastry, but I like it. So I'm gonna use it. Culty hosties, where on earth were you first introduced

to today's topic, La Boo Boo? I'm not gonna lie, I was a little late to the La Boo Boo world, but I first heard about it like maybe two months ago when Lizzo dropped her Whim Whammy freestyle online and she was like dancing around and her major line was, you can't even outdress my LaBooBoo. And that said something to my soul and my spirit. And I do this weird thing where I hyperfixate on little dumb quotes and I

kept saying it around the house and finally my husband was like, what the hell are you saying? What are you repeating? Because I would be in the shower like, you can't even outdress my love boo boo. Speaking in tongues. Literally, literally. Yep, went down a rabbit hole and I was like, oh my God, the little boo boo.

Okay, you're like, this is a wormhole into an alternate universe actually. Absolutely. All I have to do is say the secret password and the door will unlock. Yep, what about y'all? Wow. You know, as a Gen Z-er, I'm a trinket girly.

I love a little trinket. I love a little guy. Iinket girly. I love a little trinket. I love a little guy. I love a little friend. I love a little pal. I don't actually let myself collect very many of them because this is my theory with K-pop too. If I get into it, I have an addictive personality. I will get way too into it.

So I feel Labooboo is part of a larger cult of blind boxes, the predecessor to the Labooboo being of course the Sunny Angel. I do partake in Sunny Angel culture, however my theory is that I only acquire them second hand or fake. It'll be too real if I let it be real and I know that. I know I'm too prone to these cults. So my introduction to Labooboo, I think Instagram was like, this bitch will like this. I was thrown into the deep end, straight into the Labooboo luau.

And I felt like there was discourse about Labooboo as soon as it was even popular. As soon as it was a thing that people liked, it was a thing that people were annoyed by. And that was my first taste of it, was like, okay, this is a controversial new thing the Gen Zers are doing. This is the new hot thing at Pop Mart the adults are mad about. But then I went to my best friend Sydney's house. Sydney's mother Myrna is one of the girlies. And Myrna was flaunting her Labubu with its little, she had the one with the little Coke bottle. I think she might have two actually. Sorry Myrna if I'm offending

you here. I don't mean to diss your collection. And she was like, oh my gosh, Reese, did you see, look at my Labubu, like I got Labubus. And I was like, I'm so offending you here. I don't mean to diss your collection." And she was like, oh my gosh, Reese, did you see? Look at my libubu. Like I got libubus. And I was like, I'm so happy for you. They just don't hit the right cuteness spots in my brain. They don't tickle my brain in the right way. I'm a more of a miffy, sunny angel, smisky gal.

But I appreciate the presence of a libubu. I think the libubu is very representative of what the blind box does. Okay. So we're going to need a lot of explanation just because the analytics back end of Sounds Like a Cult tells me that half of this audience will not understand what we're talking about. And so don't worry, we're going to get you caught up. This is a world. This is a micro trend.

Oh, where'd she go? She said, I've had enough Labooboo. Oh no. She's like, I said my said, I've had enough, Labooboo. Oh no. She's like, I said my piece. I'm done. Goodbye. Oh no, she's gone.

She like spoke more at one time than she ever had in her life and then like broke down. She's like, I'm done. She just like disappeared. Maybe this is the rapture. I am so sorry everyone. My computer just got possessed by a haunted Labooboo. And y'all thought that's how the arrangement worked out?

Well, you're like a little angel. You literally just got done saying that you love a toy called Sunny Angel. So I was like... Well the Sunny Angel is literally made in a lab for... The inventor of the Sunny Angel made them for single working women to not feel alone at their desk jobs. Okay, so right. So this is why Labouboo is a cult. It is the empty promise of solving the most urgent problem in America right now, which is loneliness in the way that whatever like the children of God promised to solve the

most urgent problem of that time, which was like mainstream religion failing us and mainstream government failing us. But whatever, we'll get into that later. For now, Labooboo is just a toy. Okay, people. And the reason why I got introduced to it was because one day Reese started making this noise at me. It was, LeBubu, LeBubu. I'm so sorry. That's nice, sweetie. It was baby babbling, you know?

She was like, goo goo gaga mommy. And you're like, do you have a credit card yet? I was like, did you apply to get your graduation down? She was like, look at my LeBubu. Yeah, and I was like, that's funny. That's sweet. And then the culties, our listeners, started making the same noise. Labooboo, Labooboo. And I was like, okay, so this is not only a noise, it's an object. And it's a cult. And so that's where I learned about it.

And at first I really wanted to look away because I was like, this is just flash in the pan, internet slop, brain rot. I saw a meme the other day where someone was like, do buy chocolate Stanley cup la boo boo. It was like making fun of just like the way our rat brains consume catchy micro trends on the internet. Yeah.

And so I was like, I don't need to pay attention to this, but then the culties forced our hand and I'm glad they did because this is going to be a whole ass hour of conversation and we love to yap. We do. We're yap-ologists. Oh my God. I love that. Yap-ologist?

Whoa. It's like, it's like in the 20 teens when bartenders wanted to be really cool. So they were all like mixologists. And now podcasting is like a career enough that we can we can now come up with a cool name for it. That's not podcasting. Yapologist. Yeah. Oh, my God.

Yapologist. Not to be confused with a gabacist. You know. Mm-hmm, bars. Sorry. Okay, so for those who still think that LaBouBou is just a noise, maybe we better back up and drop some lore. So LaBouBou didn't just pop out of a mystery box one day. This little gremlin has a lore. The character was

originally created by Hong Kong artist K. Seng Lung, who first introduced Laboubu as a part of his storybook universe, The Monsters. Think dreamy, slightly creepy creatures living in a parallel forest. They are giving slightly like, where the wild things are vibes. I 1000% agree. Yeah, that's the only reason I might have considered wanting one, okay? Maybe. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Anyway, K. Sing Lung was born in Hong Kong in 1972, but at age seven, his family relocated to a small Dutch village, an experience he later described as disorienting and lonely. Without friends or fluency in Dutch, he retreated into solitude, teaching himself the language through picture books and spending weekends drawing

in his family's restaurant space. These early influences, Nordic fairy tales, folkloric elves, and forest creatures became the foundation for his artistic voice and would eventually inform the design of The Monsters, his 2015 picture book series. Soon after, LeBouBou emerged. A bunny-eared figure with a mischievous grin, creepy as hell, might I add. Neither hero nor villain, just open for interpretation. Then Pop Mart, the Chinese toy giant responsible for turning blind box culture

into a full blown lifestyle got involved. That's when LabouBou went from niche art to a global toy phenomenon, collector's obsession, with seasonal drops, resale bidding wars, and TikTok reveals. Here's the tea. Much like the original iteration, LaBubu has no voice, no official gender, no real backstory, which I low key, I live for that.

Well, I was gonna say, like, we're already associating so many things with it, like where the wild things are. I also get like a little bit of invader Zim energy, you know? That sort of like, it's a little goth, it's like hot topic core. But those are my references and my millennial associations. I think there's like enough of a blank slate with La Boo Boo that you can project your own story onto it.

It's also like super interesting when I see Labooboo out in the wild because I saw my first Labooboo like maybe two weeks ago in the wild and I was just so shocked but also like still confused because I'm like what what is that thing that freaky thing? Yeah bro I went to the Rose Bowl flea market yesterday and okay, this is supposed to be like a vintage market for those who don't know. It's like the largest secondhand decor and clothing flea market in LA.

Very fun. And like a fifth of the kiosks were LabouBou knockoffs. I mean, some of them were cool, but I was just like the way that this has put us in a chokehold, dude, like it's wild. And it was so fast. I think because it is kind of generic and it is kind of in the middle, vaguely enough resembles all of these different media sources that like no matter your age, you can attach something vaguely nostalgic to it. I think that there's definitely something to them.

And it's like a pretty simple face too. The fact that it doesn't resemble any real animal makes it really easy so all the knockoffs can just be whatever. Because Sunny Angel knockoffs are kind of difficult because they're little babies. Whereas a Laboubou is supposed to look a little messed up. Yeah, even the convenience store down the street from me, which used to be a Circle K, they have even fake LabouBou keychains at the checkout now. And I'm like, who is purchasing this in this town of retirees? Nobody. Wait, I have a question. So I feel like I mostly see them attached to people's purses. Mm-hmm.

Yes. Is it primarily a keychain? They're most of them, to my knowledge, are keychains, but they are starting to introduce other ones that sit or like they might have some of the hipper ones now which they like stick to the back of things, but the labooboos are bigger so I don't maybe not. But importantly, and we'll get into this, you do not cuddle them because they are more of a collector's item for adults who want to feel connected to something the way we did when we were kids.

Lizzo's was dressed in Louis Vuitton. Okay, so people really have a strong like personification, like a tie to them. And even like I'm not in the cult. And I'm not gonna lie, it is kind of irritating me a little bit hearing you guys refer to all of them as la boo boo because they do have separate names. Sorry, put me on game. I'm so sorry. Yeah. I don't know separate names. Sorry. Put me on game. I'm so sorry.

I don't know their names. Educate us. I don't know their names either. I'm just to let you like. Reese's offended. It would be. No, I'm more. We say so many offensive things on the show.

No, no, no. Reese has no problem with anything. I'm pointing out how culty this is. There's so many layers of like, you have understand what a labubu is, but not even that. This one's name is like Kiki. There's just so many layers of nonsense. And I think it goes to the, I want to personify myself and have this one and pick this one.

That's very much an aspect here to it. Hi, I'm Heather McDonald, comedian, podcast host, and connoisseur of celebrity drama. And let me tell you, Amazon Prime is the unsung hero of my chaotic, passion-fueled life. I use Prime for fast delivery on everything from tech gear for recording to books I swear I'll finish before the next scandal breaks, streaming I've binged enough gripping documentaries on Prime Video to consider myself an amateur detective. As you know, at this point, music, my Amazon music playlist shift with my mood faster than a Hollywood headline.

Prime isn't just about getting things fast. It's about feeling whatever I'm into. It helps me go deeper, discover new obsessions, and make the most of every weird little interest that makes me, me. So whether you're planning, procrastinating or partying, whatever you're into, it's on Prime. Visit amazon.ca slash prime to get more out of whatever you're into. This is Trixie Mattel, co-host of The Ball on the Beautiful Podcast, lover of wigs, winged

eyeliner and one-click ordering with Amazon Prime. And I'm Katya, podcast cohost, celebrated gymnast of the mind, and compulsive curator of very specific interests. Amazon Prime allows me to keep up with all of them. With Prime, I've ordered rhinestones, wig stands, and a pink toolbox I now use as a makeup kit, all in one go.

And best of all, they showed up before I even remembered I bought them. All while streaming top shows on Prime Video and playing chaotic but oddly soothing soundtracks on Amazon Music. Prime isn't just a shipping service. It's a buffet of deals, shows, playlists, and convenience that supports every one of my obsessions, both old and new.

I get my wig glue delivered fast, stream vintage Italian horror movies while I perfect my latest outfit, and queue up an Eastern European pop playlist on Amazon Music to set the vibe. It's multitasking, but also kind of feral. From one day delivery to top shows to music, whatever you're into is on Prime.

Visit amazon.ca slash Prime to get more out of whatever you're into. Hi, I'm Mia and I'm calling from San Jose, California. I think the cultiest thing about Labooboo's is that they are so high in demand at pop mart stores that they are valued more than the working conditions of pop mart employees. Like there was recently a strike by pop mart store employees on my local mall in the Bay Area because of unfair work treatment and making them work overtime unpaid. I'm Rachel. I'm from Portland, Oregon.

And I think what makes Labubu's culti is that people just like panic bought them. Like, they're like, oh, my friend has one. I have to go buy one right now. And in Portland, there's even pop-ups where people are tattooing and putting tooth gems on their Labubus. It's just insane. Hi, I'm Tasia from Hawaii. And I think that the cultiest thing about Labooboos is that you can buy a whole closet full of accessories and clothes

for them, including knockoff designer items. You can get them cameras with working flash. Some of these Labooboos have better closets than I do. working flash. Some of these Labooboo have better closets than I do. Okay, question. And we will get into the rest of the history and we will start analyzing more formally soon culties. But like, we're just getting some education under our belts. I have to ask, as Chelsea and I were both remarking, this culture emerged so fast. And of course, that's in large part due to its proliferation online, like culture just spreads on Instagram and TikTok so fast, obviously. But who is like driving this culture? Is it more

grassroots? Is it more top down, like being defined by brand leaders? You know, we've talked about before on this show how the word cult or like the cognate of cult means something different in certain languages versus sect. So like here in the United States and speaking English, the word sect more means like a kind of neutral, non harmful denomination of religion, whereas cult is more loaded in charge. But in Italian or French, cult means a sort of like grassroots, relatively harmless, ritual-defined group of people who have no charismatic leader. They just kind of like create their own culture from the ground up. And sect refers to something more sinister. So is this more of like a grassroots, ritual defined thing of the people, or is there someone benefiting at the top

in more of like a traditional, hierarchical cult leader-ish way? It's so weird because I think that the originator, Kasing Lung, I don't know, I think his creation was more grassroots. The fact that Laboubou has no voice, no gender, no backstory, and it allows for the consumer to develop their own interpretation, I don't think it was anything sinister underneath the surface with his creation.

However, this is America, and what we do, I will say I don't know who benefits from it, but we will make anything about money. Everything is about money in America. And so while I don't know who necessarily benefits from the cult of Labooboo, I would say there is some sort of, I don't know. I don't know what to say. No, I know what you're saying. I know what you're saying.

Cause it's like, it almost doesn't matter if there's a charismatic leader at the top. We know from groups like QAnon that you don't need one to cause real damage. But what is true and harmful is that in the United States, we keep telling this promise with new products and new aesthetics and new trends that you can buy your way to happiness. This is like a corny point to make. But I think it bears repeating that like you can buy your way to happiness. This is like a corny point to make, but I think it bears repeating that like you can buy your way to a solution to loneliness. You can buy your way to an identity, whether you're like a coastal grandma girlie or a kiki labubu. And I think

that promise will continue to disappoint us, but the hype and the internet and just like the rat brain surrounding Laboubou obscures the fact that we already know this promise is a lie. Yes. So today, Long lives in Belgium and Hong Kong balancing painting exhibitions with global storytelling through his toys and books. He's even preparing a new LaBouBou book in 2025, revealing his intention to deepen the character's mythology while still leaving space for fans to feel their own emotional meanings. So he's like, he's a real artist.

I love that. Well, you know, learning about his backstory, I was like, he didn't expect for this to like blow up in a sense. And now it's out of the stratosphere. Yeah. Similarly, I don't necessarily think there's a leader, but I think definitely facilitators that take advantage of that consumerism and that connect a willing population to trends

will soak up all of their money. And the blind box market, Pop Mart, I think is what I would call the facilitator here because they pick at the end of the day which figurines they're going to stock in what amounts at what times. And I don't know if either of you have ever been into a blind box store, but it's crazy. There's not very many of each kind and they have like all of the ones you could get in a little glass display case. And if the one that you want is out, maybe you look around and you pick a nut.

Because really it's the action of it that you find so fun, and the fact that you could repeat it and it's a new one next time, it's a cycle. So Rhys, in speaking about blind boxing, can you give us a little bit more details to what that even means? Yes. As a reluctant, occasional participant in blind box culture, if I happen to see one that is Snoopy themed, every girl has a soft spot. I'm more than happy to explain.

It's got an Achilles heel. No, I know. I love Snoopy. Rees has the softest Achilles heel ever. The theme of her vices is so sweet. Thank you. I appreciate that. Kat So people are out here doing so much Ketamine

on a weekday and Reece is like- Karly Snoopy. Kat Snoopy! Karly It's a blessing and a curse. So let me explain to you the very serious logic of the blind box. Karly At the heart of the LabouBou fandom lies the psychology of the blind box, a retail mechanism that transforms ordinary consumer behavior into a ritual of chance.

Buyers don't know which figure they're getting until after purchase. You can select from usually which series you're purchasing from, but not which particular figurine. And this introduces a layer of unpredictability that feels personal sometimes. I've been rather offended when I didn't get the color miffy that I wanted. I know that. This model, it blurs the line between commerce and fate. Every unboxing becomes a miniature act of self-discovery or disappointment, depending on what's inside. And this uncertainty invites just all kinds of projection and collectors interpret

their polls as reflections of mood or luck or even like identity. It's very real. It's like tea leaves or like it's the new sort of palm reading. When you would like you get to pick a prize in the prize box and they had those little fortune telling fishies. Do you guys know what those are? The little fish? Yeah, yeah, of course. I have one in my little drawer. I got it for my birthday. like you get to pick a prize in the prize box and they have those little fortune-telling fishies. Do you guys know what those are? The little fish.

Yeah, yeah, of course I have one in my little drawer. I got it for my birthday. Yeah, it's giving those. Wait, this is so interesting because I don't know if this was at all Lung's intention. Having based the Labooboo on Nordic folklore and fairy tales and elves and creatures like that, but Labooboo is rooted in a folk tradition.

You might not necessarily perceive that if you discover them like on the Internet or whatever. And you think like, oh, this is just like Beanie Baby or Troll Doll 2.0. But the fact that people are treating these blind boxes almost like a new folk tradition, almost like a fortune telling thing. It's like kind of full circle in that way. Like Laboubou's origins were in folklore

and then the consumers have come around to using it in a sort of folk tradition. Isn't that weird? That is very weird. Maybe that's wholesome. Maybe that's cool. Because it's become like, like whenever Sydney and I hang out in little Tokyo,

it's like, what are we gonna do? We're gonna get some lunch. We're gonna get a little thing to drink and then we're gonna go buy a new little friend and we're gonna see which little friend we got. Okay, it is weird to me though, that we are using language like friend and buddy as adults.

Buy a little friend. It's a Gen Z thing. that we are using language like friend and buddy as adults to describe. It's a Gen Z thing. The Gen Z issue of personifying every, it's an illness. Right, right, right. And that comes back to the loneliness and the sort of breakdown of relationships. Oh, for sure.

Oh, for sure. I'm not denying it. I'm not denying it. I'm just like, it's cool. I loved stuffed animals until an advanced age. What's advanced? But I was thinking advanced. Well, I'll put it this way.

When I was 21, my parents moved from Baltimore to California and without even asking me, they just defaulted to bringing my entire childhood stuffed animal collection with them when they moved. I was 21, because they were like, these are important artifacts. I did and my parents were living. Well, that's a different story. But I was thinking earlier today, I don't think I need a Labooboo because I have two cats. Get into it. Just invest in your real life relationships. You don't need the Labooboo, go pet your cat.

I don't mean to sound sanctimonious, I'm just saying, well, I guess a real life Labooboo doesn't need a litter box and that's a huge plus. Or sorry, a fake life Labooboo. They're very low maintenance, they're very easy. But yeah, I think they do ultimately become clutter once they're uninteresting in ways that cats don't. Yeah, none of this sounds low maintenance. Yeah. Because a cat dies.

Oh, that's yeah. And a lobubu never dies. It lives forever. They live in the landfill for all of eternity. Plastic crack. Dude, plastic crack. You're so right. And ultimately a body decomposes. Well, yeah. Yeah.

Sorry, we don't need to talk about corpses. If we're getting into the larger, I'm thinking about all of the, if you're really, in the way that there are serial MLMers, there are serial blind box girlies, I have to assume. So what are all of the girls with their Labooboos now doing with their graveyards of sunny angels? What's happening to those babies without good homes? Like we need to think about it in terms of the waste that we're producing. Oh, completely.

This is gonna age me, but I have to Google. I do not know what Sunny Angel is. I think maybe did you put a sticker of Sunny Angel on my laptop? I think I have one somewhere. Oh no, that's, I think that might be a QP, which is similar. QP? Oh no, I think that might be a Cupid, which is similar. Cupid? Sunny angel, I'm seeing.

Oh, sunny angel. Okay, cute. You know, my spouse's sister is living with us for the summer and I'm learning a lot about her. She's 19, so she's also Gen Z. And there are different ways to be Gen Z, I've learned. They're not a monolith. Thank you.

She is afraid of dolls, I learned that. It's a phobia. It is. So in my mind, I see a little sunny angel, which for the listeners, Chelsea, should we do our best to describe the image of a sunny angel? Go for it.

So sunny angel, small, plastic, cherub looking little figurine, comes in all shades, has a little head dress of different animals. A cap, dare I say? Yeah. Yes, a cap, a little cap. That's all I have.

I'm seeing some in the shape of a fruit. Yes. Some are sharks, some are goats. I'm seeing a charming little duck and I'm also seeing a raspberry. That's my favorite thing about Sunny Angels. Yeah. So oftentimes, like with Labooboo, there's one that everyone secretly hopes to get. Like when you buy a blind box on the side of the physical box itself, you will often see all of the different varietals that could be in your box. However, we're talking about fine wine. The different varietals from the different regions. Oh my God. It's only a lububu if it comes from the official region of Pop Mart.

Otherwise, it's just a sparkling stuff keychain. No, but that's actually the truth. Wait, that's true. I literally saw a mom buy her son's Labooboos and they opened it and they were like, this isn't real? Right. Yeah, it was like the Andre of Labooboo. I find the fake one so much more amusing. Okay, wait.

What's your favorite thing about La Boo Boo? Well, my favorite thing about Sunny Angel, which I guess is kind of off topic. So on the side of the box, you will see all the different kinds you could get. And there is often, however, a secret one that is not pictured. And that's like a super exciting one.

I think with the La Boo Boo in the most popular series, there are a bunch of different colors, but the secret one is gray. So all the minimalist girlies are like, I want the gray one. But for Sunny Angels, the secret baby is never a baby. Nay, it is a tiny little rabbit creature, always, by the name of Robbie. R-O-B-B-Y. And that's my boyfriend's name.

So the Robbie's. And the Robbie's are objectively ugly, but they're very rare. So people get very excited for the Robbies. I'm making a cult parallel here because I'm getting like a Willy Wonka golden ticket energy from all of this. And what did the golden ticket represent for Charlie? Being chosen, being lifted out of poverty

and isolation and hopelessness into the chocolate factory of wonders. And maybe there's some hope that if you manifest hard enough and do your little lububu prayers, whatever those look and sound like, I don't know, I'm sure there are ritualistic behaviors that you can do, whether it's posting or I don't know, to help bring the reality of the lububu

of your choosing into your life, then you could feel like anything is possible for me if I just hope hard enough. And you know what? I'm now realizing that a lububu video did pop into my algorithm on Instagram the other week because there is a cat that I follow, I'm sorry, forgive me, but my for you page is cats.

And there is this amazing cat on Instagram named Piary. And she's- I love Piary. Do you know Piary? Yes. And this cat is so happy and docile. And the cat is gray. And her mom got her a Labubu and was like,

Piary, you're so decent. Like you're so special. You know, maybe because you've earned it and you're so, so, so, so special, you'll get the gray Labooboo. And indeed they opened up the blind box and it was the gray Labooboo for P'Yari the gray kitty. And there's literally nothing-

You won. You won and it makes you special. And that's the feeling. That's the game. I think if you are jonesing for community in this ever disconnected digital age and the boo boo has appealed to your extremely online consumerist sensibilities and there's the added element of if you're special, you might get the lububu that you've prayed for, that is contributing to the cult of American exceptionalism and manifestation that comes up on the show all the time.

Oh, yeah. Dang. And I think even though they are relatively themselves pretty inexpensive and pretty non-consequential, the fact that you attach them to something larger, usually like a designer bag, I feel like that also contributes to the identity curation that you feel with these. Kat- You wear them. Sam- Yeah. Just a fleeting thought I had.

Kat- So they're inexpensive, but then, but don't they? Sam- They're so crazy. They're like $30 to40, and everybody spends the same $30 to $40 brand. I think that's what they were when they were a fresh, hot off the presses brand new, which is on the higher end for a blind box. But you've done more research. We can get more formal with it. Kat Kerlin Yeah, let's more formally hum a few bars about the cult of consumerism's intersection with Lububu. So the resale market and adult

demographic is I think what makes this toy trend somewhat unique. So when talking about Lububu with fellow millennials, instantly what comes to mind is Beanie Babies, Troll dolls, Furbies, you know, these like coveted children's toys. But that collector culture was marketed to kids. I mean, a lot of these toys had a whole like world and origin story that came with them. Beanie babies were accompanied by birth certificates and little poems. Pokemon cards lived in these plastic binders that were like meant to preserve them and keep them precious. But Labooboo has kind of flipped the script.

These little vinyl toys are adorable, yes, but they're designed with adults in mind. And the price points, the drop mechanics, the resale drama, the street wear collabs, the dead serious TikTok unboxing. None of it is accidental and it's not childhood nostalgia repackaged. It is full blown adult consumerism.

And recent coverage of this whole phenomenon in the news makes it clear that Laboum isn't just a collector's obsession. It is a fashion phenomenon, an opportunity for personal brand building. CBS News noted that charms now sell for over $1,000 on resale sites. Meanwhile, the Washington Post explained how this plush turned accessory reflects Gen disease desire for identity expression through playful consumerism. And maybe Reese can speak to like some of the voids that LabouBoo is uniquely attempting to fill

and how they're different and maybe even cultier than what you know of the Beanie Baby craze from the 90s. I think in part because the trend is so fleeting, you don't know how long your LabouBoo is going to be relevant for, so you have to get the one that's most popular right now. Because when I think of Beanie Babies, my nana started buying my sister and I Beanie Babies when we were very little in the 90s because she wanted to, that was our trust fund. Our trust fund is this bag of like 40 Beanie Babies that's sitting under my couch right now. But she bought the little collector's book with it and you were supposed to be diligent with it and there were hundreds of them. Whereas Labooboo, the appeal is specifically that out of the six in this series, you might get one. And it's more of a which one you have and how do you

style it and how do you incorporate it into your larger internet persona as opposed to it's not even necessarily like a look at how many Labubus I have. I've seen that, but I feel like even that so much doesn't matter necessarily. It does and it doesn't. This is interesting. Okay, so I think this relates more to the identity stuff because Chelsea, I don't know if you felt this way, but I didn't necessarily feel like my individual beanie baby said something about who I was, the type of person I was. Just the fact that I had them meant that I belonged and I was part of culture when I

was 10 or whatever. Like what was your relationship to Beanie Babies? I didn't have like a really close relationship with Beanie Babies. For myself specifically, I will say though, I felt like people who had Beanie Babies. I just for myself specifically I will say though I felt like people who had Beanie Babies it became a part of their identity Being a part of this larger club. I was a Tamagotchi girl I had like five of those and I will say I didn't have a branded Tamagotchi I had a knockoff Tamagotchi and I did feel like it said so much about just like financially

where how I showed up in society. Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally. It was more like a status symbol. Yeah, it was a thousand percent a status symbol. When I would go to summer camps and people would be like, not a real Tamagotchi, you know, it felt away because I was still a part of something, but it's a thousand percent a status

symbol. Is Labouboo a status symbol? I think Labouboo is a thousand percent a status symbol. What status though? Trendiness, finger on the pulse-ness. I think it's like a trendiness and disposable income enough. And also I think part of it is the scarcity, the blind box purchasing nature of it. It means that you have the free time to sit around and get that Labooboo right when they drop or you know someone who does. They're difficult to obtain. I feel like the death of monoculture has changed our relationship to products like this. What kid in the 90s didn't know what a Tamagotchi was? Like everybody knew. But unless you're extremely online,

you might still just think that Labooboo is a noise. Yeah. I still really believe that it is to your point, Reese, like finger on the pulse. It's the connection to what's happening in the world because the fact that you can afford whatever, not even a resell version of Labooboo. Okay, yeah, that's one thing. But then when you go online and you get deeper

into the world and start buying like Prada clothes and Louboutin clothes for your Labooboo, I just think it says something about status for me. I don't know what the fuck it says about status, but it says something. I almost feel like it's like a parody of status, which it's like, fuck you, but it's both and. It's like, because there's irony here, right?

Like the Lububus are ugly. They're a ridiculous thing to spend that much money on. Like, like, Beanie Babies are cute. And that's the millennial thing is like, we want things that are like pretty and cute. And like we're earnest and we like do doggo lingo. And then Gen Z is all about like irony and like you don't want to be earnest

cause that's cringe. So if you're buying like a Prada bag and then hanging a Labooboo on it, you're almost like, I don't really care about wealth because I'm hanging this ugly ass key chain on it. Yeah, it's like, I can participate in the poor people trends because they're popular and I care about being popular,

but I still need to do it in a way that shows that I'm better than you all. Yes. Nail on the head. It almost reminds me of one like, slim thick became the body standard because it was like pretending to be more achievable, but it actually was less achievable.

Well, I won't get into it because that's not what this episode was about. I get your turn of thought there though. There's such a high barrier to being cool now, because you have to understand all of these layers of humor and references and irony and be rich, but pretend like you're not. So performative, everything. Quiet luxury. Quiet luxury. Yeah.

Yes, our Labubas quiet luxury. It's, they're like loud and quiet and luxurious and trashy. And none of us have identities anymore. So we're all shopping for them online with all of these buzzwords that don't even mean anything when you put them together. And then you try to translate those identities into products to sell back to the people.

And it's just garbage. It's all a cycle of garbage. Here's a conspiracy theory. Are Labooboos a distraction away from the news? Listen, I believe that. I want to see correlative numbers between voter registration and Labooboos ownership. Literally though.

Literally, where is that spurious correlation or what is that website? And it's not spurious. I genuinely think that disaster fatigue has led us to the ridiculousity of La Boo Boo. It's too hard to figure out where to donate one's money. So I'm just gonna donate it to La Boo Boo. Light Pictures presents The Roses, only in theaters August 29th. From the director of Meet the Parents and the writer of Poor Things comes The Roses,

starring Academy Award winner Olivia Coleman, Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, and Allison Janney. A hilarious new comedy filled with drama, excitement, and a little bit of hatred, proving that marriage isn't always a bed of roses. See The Roses, only in theaters August 29th. Get tickets now. Hey, it's Yoey Shaw. I used to host the MPR podcast, Invisibilia. And now I have a new show

called Proxy, where we tackle your niche emotional conundrums, the kind where you can't get answers, because no one in your life can relate, or maybe because the one person you wish you could talk to won't? On Praxy you get your own personal investigative journalist, searching for the perfect stranger to talk to who hopefully has the experience and insight you need. Subscribe to Praxy wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, sounds like a cult. This is Valeria from Florida. And I think what makes the Labooboo's culty is definitely the response they elicit in their followers

when they open those bags or packages and they get a new Labooboo. I've seen hysterics, tears, screaming, and you don't get that kind of response from just anything. The influence that these dolls have over the people that obsess over them is very intense. My name is Bailey, I'm calling from Iowa, and I think the cultiest thing about Labooboos is that people from my hometown who I actually know have them. I'm Iowa born and raised, we're not known for being a particularly trendy culture, in fact the onion literally had an article like Mocking Iowa Fashion. So usually when I learn that something is trending, it's exclusively through

these social media fashion influencers who I have no connection to. I've never seen a girly wearing butter yellow out, but I've seen at least five girls from my hometown posting their labubus to their Instagram story. Mind you, we don't even have a pop mart in the entire state, so I don't know where they're getting them, and it's not like they're cheap, but it's crazy out here. Hi, I'm Jackie Andrea. I'm calling from Long Island, New York. And I think what makes Labooboos so culty

is the fact that on TikTok, we just wrapped up this huge trend of recognizing overconsumption and the ways in which it can not only ruin our planet But can ruin our individual lives and then we get marketed this rather ugly toy That no adult needs and this is not really being marketed towards children This is being marketed towards fashionable adults who don't really need it So did under consumption just finish when the trend finished?

Actually, speaking of conspiracy theories, Reese, can you talk about the cultiest, most underground, insane, fringe dimension of LeBouBou culture before we get into our verdict? I would love to. You know, when the adults on Facebook find the Gen Z trends, they're gonna find a way to make them sound terrifying. And it's been found. Now let's get into the part of the LaBouBou story that feels a little less like a fun Ryan's YouTube unboxing and more like an episode of ghost adventures. Internet chats and conspiracies

have begun to pop up that are feeling like they're straight from the Satanic Panic Playbook. So people online, many of whom are mainlining Instagram reels at 3am, they've started to claim that these little lububu dolls are cursed, possessed, or part of some shadowy voodoo ritual aimed at manipulating children's psyches. Not gonna lie, I don't disagree. According to fact-checkers at Myth Detector, these theories largely trace back to a Russian language video that claimed Laboubou was used in quote unquote Voodoo-based psychological warfare. I know Chelsea already has some thoughts about the Voodoo slander.

Okay? I'm not into that. I'm not into that. No. No. Okay. I'm not into that. I'm not into that. No, no. Meanwhile, Reddit threads like the one in r slash paranormal detail eerie anecdotes like Labooboo's allegedly moving on their own pets going feral or children waking up at 314am in a trance. Okay. The seemingly dominant occult conspiracy is that Labubu is really Pazuzu, the ancient Mesopotamian demon. There are full-blown TikTok accounts documenting the supposed dark energy of the dolls, with

users claiming they got physically ill or haunted after buying a Labubu secondhand. The conspiracy got so loud that PopMart issued an April Fool's recall notice joking about paranormal activity, an obvious parody that only fueled the fire. Oh my god, that is so funny. Right? Like, I kind of love it. And yet, most of these claims are completely unverified, according to Snaps. Unverified?

How do you verify a haunting? Yeah, the Pazoo Zoo has indeed confirmed that it has inhabited the bodies of all of the... Yeah, no. What we are seeing is a classic case of conspiracy culture meeting consumerism, which is exactly the kind of modern-day cultish behavior that we love to dissect here at Slack. I just love that wherever there is a stupid little conspiracy theory, it's always like the letters are rearranged or it sounds similar or like there's an Easter conspiracy theory, it's always like the letters are rearranged or it sounds similar or like there's an Easter egg

in what it's called. Yeah, like if they were possessed, like why? I don't know. If you combine the word possessed and the word Labooboo, you get Pazoozoo. Pazoozoo, someone was. Wait, that's so funny. Wait, wait, wait, can we coin this?

Like anytime something is like cute but haunted, we can call it Pazuzu. Pazuzu. Delulu, Pazuzu. Yes, okay, wait, duh. This is why this occurred to me as baby babbling, because I think there is a general self infantilization as like self protection and coping mechanism

that we engage in during broader times of cultural crisis. And that's why I think we've cutesified serious terms like delusional and turned it into delulu. And I think Lububu is also in line with this trend of like self-infantilization as a form of like, whatever self-parenting, coping, la la la, just like married with consumerism.

I will say, I'ma diss Laboubou for a second though. You can't even do anything fun with Laboubou. Like Laboubou just hooks on your purse, it's just there, you put the clothes on. Back in my day, we had cool toys, okay? You can do stuff with them. Tamagotchi had cool toys, okay? You can do stuff with them. Tamagotchi feed burp, okay? Literally.

What do you know about that? And you know what? A labubu can't die, but a tamagotchi can. A tamagotchi can die. Well, a chia pet can die. Chia pets die. What are the stakes with labubu? Like, get acquainted with mortality.

Exactly. If you disconnect from your body, you disconnect from death, reconnect with death. And that's what's culty to me, because the fact that Labubu can live in perpetuity, there's something. Yes. There's something wrong there.

No, there's nothing wrong with that. That's not right. You're cheating your way out of companionship. It's Satan in a landfill. It's Satan in a landfill. Ooh, plastic crack. Plastic crack. Plastic crack.

Okay, wait, one last thing. Black people in America who are like first generation, there's like this whole expose on TikTok happening right now about Labooboo. And it's just so funny because they're like, you know how black people will never purchase, common black people will never purchase a Labooboo is because we think everything is demonic. So we see like, like growing up, I had to sneak and watch Harry Potter. Like I couldn't watch any creepy crawly witchy things because they're like,

that's demonic. And so for me, I think that's why I have a natural aversion to be like, what the fuck is this thing? It looks like a devil and I don't know, it has a devilish name. You're so right about that. Like now that I'm thinking about it, haunted dolls is hard, like being that attached to a doll

that is clearly a vessel for some evil, vile shit. Honestly, like ventriloquism. Yeah. Oh my gosh, the horror movie about Laboubou that's gonna come out in like half a year, that's gonna be the worst thing that any of us have ever seen. I wanna make it.

I wanna make it. I'll star in it. I'll star in it, Chelsea, if you make it. Oh my God, someone please like option and develop this episode with Chelsea. Please. This is IP. Hello. Please. I love horror.

I love thriller. My name is Megan. I'm from Fairfax, Virginia. And I think the cultiest thing about Labooboos is the exclusivity and how difficult it is to actually get one. They're always sold out. If you buy them online and you catch them when they're available, you have to scroll, you have to refresh, because they make it very difficult and almost gamify having to get one. Hi I'm Adriana I'm calling

from Cleveland Ohio and I think what makes the boo-boos so culty is that they have knockoffs and that these knockoffs are actually like really good dupes. I saw a video it might have been from like the New York Times where they're like tell a difference you need to like count the teeth look at the tags because like a letter or two might just be off. It's crazy because I don't even think designer handbag knockoffs are this intricate and detailed. Hi coltees, my name is Camille. I am calling in from New Orleans. I think Labubus are coltees for many reasons, but the main thing that comes to mind for me is this woman on TikTok

who has gone viral for trolling the Labooboo people. She's got this amazing accent and she claims to be the owner of the rarest gemstone and gold Labooboo's in the world. She always starts out with, I am the owner of the one and only 24 karat gold la boo boo. I cannot do it very well, but she's incredible. I'm obsessed with her. And this trend wouldn't be so successful if people weren't so obsessed with finding the most rare, expensive, valuable Labooboo out there. Now that we've had this round table education, it's time to play a tiny lightning round game of what's cultier before we get into our verdict because we've randomly covered a lot of dolls on this show. So it's time to figure out what's the cultiest of them all.

I'm gonna read a list of culty dolls with which to compare a Labubu, and you're just gonna essentially have to think about which you would rather have sitting on your bedroom shelf staring at you as you fall asleep. Ready? What's cultier? Labubu or American Girl doll culture? Labubu.

I agree. I agree. Tendatively. Grudgingly. Okay. Labubou or troll dolls? Troll. Troll was so expansive. Laboubou was just getting its feet off the ground.

Trolls had pencils. Listen, troll was everywhere. Yeah, I think the fact that Justin Timberlake can make money off of trolls today and they've existed since the 80s, I think that's a pretty prolific call. Yeah. Sound arguments. Yeah. Labooboo is like new religious movement.

Troll doll is like old school Christianity. Like it's been, it's been around. Okay. I think in a couple of years, it'll be embarrassing to have a labooboo, but I think trinkets will always be cool to the people who are in the know. Cool. Okay. Labooboo or cabbage patch kids. Who would I rather have staring at me? Yeah. I mean, the rules of this game are kind of fluid. Okay. Cabbage Patch Kids are cultier because if you go to the store or like the Cabbage Patch,

they have the big tree, the big mother tree where they're birthed. And I think that's really culty. I'm going to be honest. I'm very passionate about Cabbage Patch kids because I had the cutest Cabbage Patch kid growing up. His name was Nicholas. He had a birth certificate. I was not a dolls girl. I was more of a baby girl. I was breastfeeding at four.

I lived- Mommy. Nicholas was bald. Oh my God, Mommy. He was cute. I lived for Cabbage Patch, okay? Okay, boy mom. I was, don't you ever refer to this.

Don't you ever refer to me as a boy. Sorry, what was your answer? Cabbage Patch is 1000% cultier than the Labooboo. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause again, who would ever breastfeed a Labubu? Fair. Okay, I'm just going to do one more. What's cultier?

Labubu or reborn dolls? Reborn. Yeah, until the real sale markets are equal, but I don't think they quite are. I think the Reborns are still going for more. Those are works of art, baby. You know exactly what you're doing. It should be really specific with the baby you want and that's culty.

Yeah, and just like the grief element. Like who's, I mean, okay, yes. People are using the baboos to fill a void of loneliness, but not to fill a void of like a specifically dead baby. And people with Reborn dolls are often doing it and projecting these things onto these dolls consciously whereas Labooboo owners Oh, it's conscious right? It's super on purpose Yeah, I feel like people buy a Labooboo in like a 3 a.m. State of like ambient

motivated Shafaholism All right, I think we're ready. We've exhausted this topic. I'm exhausted. Out of our three cult categories, live your life, watch your back, and get the fuck out. Which do we think the cult of Labooboo falls into? I'd say watch your back. The only reason I wouldn't say live your life is because of the over consumption aspect

that I just can't ignore in this whole thing. It's like the buy in the clothes. I don't know. There's just something about that. Oh, Chelsea, I think this is a get the fuck out. Oh. I'm dead serious. I think nothing good can come of this.

Okay. Okay, okay. It reminds me of Stanley cups because it's just like so all consuming, but like ultimately you can actually use a Stanley cup as like a water bottle. None of the positives of cultishness are detectable here from where I sit. Only the negatives. And not all of the negatives, obviously.

It's a really low stakes get the fuck out, weirdly. Yeah, that's kind of what's tripping me up because while I do agree, I think it is just such a bad omen and such a good indicator for where we are financially and mindset wise and what we wanna do with our time and money and attention and you know I think that's obviously all terrible. I don't know that that's necessarily unique or inherently harmful to the Labubu itself though. I know I knew Reese was gonna say this shit.

Labubu apologist. I know I am I'm a blind box apologist as a person who needs a little whimsy in this goddamn hellscape. I'm sorry. Yeah, a labooboo in a vacuum delight. Yeah, a labooboo in context. Live your life, but also just don't do it. Yeah, I would say look at them online, I think, because I just, everyone's gonna forget. And ultimately, the reason that I don't think they're that harmful is because I think, because I just, everyone's gonna forget. And ultimately, the reason that I don't think they're that harmful is because I think they're nothing at the end of the day, and they will become nothing

very soon. I think get a plant. I think join the cult of plant parents, you know? Yeah, just find a more fulfilling cult. Totally, the unfulfilling-ness is why I think this is a get the fuck out, because it's a bottomless pit of nothing. You also made a point earlier about what do you think this is distracting us from?

And I just cannot get, like, I'm one of those people and it's like bombs in Iran and scrolling on TikTok and it's little boo boo. And what even is this? But yeah, I don't know. Totally. Just escapism. I think I'm going watch Your Back.

Participate mindfully. It's almost all three. It's like a live your back out. Live your back out. Walk to the other side of the pop mart. I don't know. Damn. Well, that is our show.

Thanks so much for listening. Be sure to tune in for a new episode next week. But in the meantime, make sure to stay culty. But not too culty. Sounds Like a Cult was created by Amanda Montell and edited by Jordan Moore of The Pod Cabin. This episode was hosted by Amanda Montell, Reese Oliver, and Chelsea Charles. Our managing producer is Katie Epperson. Our theme music is by Casey Cole. If you enjoyed the show, we'd really appreciate it if you could leave it five stars on Spotify or Apple

podcasts. It really helps the show a lot. And if you like this podcast, feel free to check out my book, Cultish, the Language of Fanaticism, which inspired the show. You might also enjoy my other books, The Age of Magical Overthinking, Notes on Modern Irrationality, and Wordslet, A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language. Thanks as well to our network, Studio71. And be sure to follow the Sounds Like a Cult cult on Instagram for all the discourse at Sounds Like a Cult Pod

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