My hate mail to Labubu

This was previously published in our September 2025 issue.

Labubus, the tiny monster-like creature keychain that has the world in the palm of its creepy little hand. Will they be forever ingrained in society, or will they become just a micro trend just like every other cultural phenomenon? Originally created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, Labubus are now a global sensation due to their cute and cuddly looks. Let’s be honest here, they aren’t cuddly, they aren’t cute, and they are just another form of brain rot that Gen Z and Gen Alpha adopted.

Seriously, have you seen the people with five of them on their bag? I love a good keychain, but it’s too much.

Especially when you are paying $20-50 for a keychain, and you can’t even pick which one you want because it’s designed to be a mystery. They don’t even come in different designs, just different colors.

I predict that in the future 90 percent of these things are going to end up in a landfill once they no longer become popular. Because that’s all they are, a fad.

Labubus aren’t the only toys ending up in dumps. Other quick toy trends such as Funko Pops, Sonny angels, Furbys, etc. often end up polluting the world. It’s over consumption at its finest, and that’s the problem. It’s not just collecting its hoarding.

Toy trends like Labubus will never go away, and in a few months something else will pop up to set the world on fire again. So, let’s pick something cuter next time, ok?

My love note to Labubu

They’re utterly demonic, yet I fell in love. Perhaps a spell has been cast upon me? Have I been sirened by Rihanna and ROSÉ to become so infatuated with such a hideous thing? That seems to be the only logical reason, as just a month ago, I despised them. So am I truly in love, or have I yet again fallen for the current trend of the world? A trend that is soon to break my heart, as they so often do. This is my love note to Labubu.

I didn’t understand the craze for Labubus when it started. While at the beach over this summer, they were everywhere I looked. I saw them on the boardwalk. I couldn’t escape them. I found myself constantly making fun of each shop that was selling Labubus just to be shoved out of the way by a little girl running to buy one. I was happily riding the Labubu hate train until I found myself at the Allentown Fair trying to win one in a dart game.

I don’t understand why my opinion on Labubus changed so quickly. They look so stupid. Their teeth are sharp; their eyes follow you, and I can’t for the life of me figure out what animal they are supposed to be. But after having them constantly pushed into my life, from the boardwalk shops to celebrities flaunting their new $30 Labubu, my hatred for them started to dwindle, and my love started to grow.

Would I spend $210 on a Labubu – no. That would be dumb. But $15, maybe even $20? Call it enemies to lovers, but it’s my money, and it’s my love.