By Feniks | Philosopher’s Corner | August 12, 2025
Labubu, the gremlin-like toy with jagged teeth and a creepy grin, has the world in a chokehold. From London’s Pop Mart riots to Beijing’s $150,000 auctions, this “ugly-cute” fad is pure chaos. Jean-Paul Sartre would spit on it—a plastic gremlin for a world that’s lost its soul. Why are we chasing blind-box toys to fill an existential void? Feniks Knows Best dives into the madness.
The Labubu Craze: A Global Fever
Labubu, born from Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, exploded in 2025 via Pop Mart’s blind-box model—you pay $30-$450 for a mystery toy, hoping for a rare “secret” edition. BLACKPINK’s Lisa and Rihanna flaunted them, turning these plush monsters into clout machines. In the UK, fans mobbed Pop Mart stores, forcing sales halts for safety. In Asia, smugglers face jail for trafficking Labubus worth thousands. A TikTok unboxing video hit 15 million views, with one fan raging over a “fuck-ass Christmas tree” Labubu. This isn’t just a toy—it’s a cultural riot.
But the chaos runs deeper. Collectors chase 1-in-72 odds for rainbow-toothed rarities, fueling a £1,000 resale market. In California, thieves stole $7,000 worth of Labubus, ignoring cash. Why this obsession with a toothy elf when the world’s burning?
Feniks Dives into Pop-Culture, What Is the World Coming To????
Look, Feniks Knows Best thrives on shredding herd mentality, not chasing fads. So why wade into Labubu’s glittery swamp? Because this craze is a mirror—humans scrambling for plastic meaning in a world gone mad. It’s absurd, it’s chaotic, and it’s begging for a philosophical smackdown. Sartre would get it: this is peak bad faith, and we’re here to call it out.
Sartre’s Existential Slap: Plastic Can’t Save You
Sartre would call this absurd. In Being and Nothingness, he argued we’re free to craft our own meaning, yet here we are, brawling over blind boxes to feel something. Labubu’s allure—scarcity, surprise, social flex—traps us in a cycle of wanting what brands dictate. Pop Mart’s 475% revenue spike in 2024 proves they’re puppeteers, not toymakers. Shanghai police bust fake “Lafufus,” UK stores halt sales amid fights, and resellers with bots outwit fans. This isn’t joy—it’s a rigged game.
Feniks’ Take: Own the Chaos
Feniks Knows Best loves chaos, but not the kind that owns you. Labubu’s nostalgic pull is real, but why let a plastic gremlin define your worth? Sartre’d urge us to flip off the hype, embrace the absurd, and forge our own path—art, rebellion, or laughing at the madness. Your meaning isn’t in a blind box; it’s in your defiance.
What’s one fad you’re done chasing? Share below and join the #FeniksWay to live unapologetically free.