Viral photo shows Labubu doll on Karl Marx's grave, sparks debate: ‘Deeply poetic and unhinged'

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

A viral social media post has captured a bizarre and oddly moving scene that's surprised and amused the internet, racking up over nine million views. Shared by an X user, the photo shows a Chinese student's handwritten three-page letter to German philosopher Karl Marx, carefully placed on his grave in London, a gesture reportedly not uncommon among visitors. The wildly popular designer Labubu toy was seen perched against Karl Marx's tombstone.(X/@Uaitniu)
But it wasn't the letter that got everyone talking.
What stole the spotlight was the unexpected presence of Labubu, the wildly popular designer doll that has taken the world by storm, perched against Marx's tombstone. The dark grey monster doll with a mischievous smile was seen peeking over the pages of the letters.
Many were quick to point out the irony of the situation: A wildly expensive toy that has fuelled consumerism worldwide was placed as an offering on the grave of the father of anti-capitalist thought.
"There's something deeply poetic and unhinged about a collectable capitalist gremlin sitting on the grave of the man who critiqued capitalism itself. Peak irony," said one user.
Others were quick to jokingly call it the most unusual collab: "Late-stage capitalism really said: Labubu x Karl Marx collab," wrote another user.
"Don't be surprised if the gravestone spontaneously combusts," joked a third person.
Some even joked that the doll was acting as a guardian at the grave. "The labubu: Perfectly symbolic of unthinking people with infantile tendencies, wasteful and trendy. Just like Marxism," quipped another user.