Social media, a collection of some of the most terrifying things I’ve ever seen, shows me the weirdest stuff when I can’t sleep in the pre-dawn hours. Usually, I just chuckle and scroll past the random conspiracy theories and unsourced news stories at 3 am. But this morning, I was served the link to a Snopes article about these creepy Labubu dolls at least three times. It was as if some force was guiding me to learn more about them, as if I were being called to embrace them in some way that was beyond my control.
I’m not the only one who feels that way about these ugly/cute dolls that are part of Pop Mart’s group of IPs known as The Monsters. They’ve grown exponentially in global popularity over the last year and now have a significant foothold in the US market. They are collectible accessories that might bring to mind Monchichi or Cabbage Patch Kids if you’re part of a certain age group. Both of those dolls escaped being tied to the devil at the height of their popularity. But we didn’t need Satan to possess dolls in the 1980s; he was busy being in rock bands and targeting little kids in daycare centers.
People of all ages are going crazy for these things across the world. And this level of obsession can only mean one thing: demons are at work. Specifically, the demon Pazuzu. Yes, that Pazuzu. The one who possessed poor young Regan MacNeil in William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel, The Exorcist, and who was later played by Linda Blair in the 1973 film that is considered the first movie about demonic possession.
I don’t know where the idea originated, or when it gained any traction. The Snopes article links to YouTuber Karim Jovian’s Facebook post and a matching Instagram post that reference an old Simpsons episode, immediately giving the idea some legitimacy. Because we all know The Simpsons can tell the future.
The article also links to this TikTok creator who sounds very sure of herself. Therefore, credible. That’s how that works, right?
@lindsayivan LABUBU PAZUZU DOLL #SCARYFACTS #SCARYVIDEOS #LABUBU #PAZUZU #caughtoncamera ♬ Creepy simple horror ambient(1270589) – howlingindicator
In a follow-up post, she includes a not-at-all-staged-for-clicks video of a family burning their possessed Labubu because a kid claimed it changed eye color and its smile got bigger.
@lindsayivan Labubus eye changing colours!!! #LABUBU #SCARYVIDEOS #PAZUZU #caughtoncamera ♬ Creepy simple horror ambient(1270589) – howlingindicator
If I were going to recast the role of Pazuzu right now, the part would definitely go to these Labubu Dolls. They’re creepy AF. But when I was a kid, I convinced my parents that my teddy bears and dolls could talk and that Nancy Drew asked me for help solving mysteries. I’m not sure this kid has a lot of credibility or acting skills.
There is no clear evidence that Labubus are avatars of Pazuzu. (It is fun to say “Labubu is Pazuzu,” though.) If anyone who has these weird little things attached to their bags, or has piles of them in their bedrooms, starts projectile vomiting pea soup or posts videos of their heads spinning around on their necks, I’ll be sure to update this article. Until then, best to avoid Ouija boards and long concrete staircases leading to nowhere, just in case.
