Meena the fictional cartoon elephant from the “Sing” movies has become the latest victim of cancel culture, thanks to TikTok users.
The cancellation comes about six years after Meena, voiced by singer Tori Kelly, made her debut in the animated film “Sing.”
A clip in which Meena sings “Happy Birthday” to her grandfather has become the latest subject of TikTok hate in recent weeks. Another video of the scene, posted on Jan. 25, may have further turned the internet against Meena. It has been viewed more than 20 million times and liked more than 3.7 million times.
On TikTok, the hashtag “#MeenaSlander” has more than 73 million views and #MeenaTheElephant” has more than 44 million views.
“Sing” follows a koala bear theater owner’s attempt to save his beloved venue by hosting a singing competition, in which the contestants include Meena, Ash the porcupine, Johnny the gorilla, Mike the mouse, and Rosita the pig.
Kelly’s voice soars with ease in the scene. And the “Sing” films, released by Universal Pictures, have generally received positive reviews. (Universal Pictures and NBC News are both owned by parent company NBCUniversal).
So why and when did the hate toward Meena begin?
Know Your Meme, the meme database, points to a video posted by user @RandyFanBoy as starting the anti-Meena video trend.
The video by @RandyFanBoy, posted on Jan. 17, has been viewed more than 7.5 million times.
“NO BECAUSE SHE WAS MAD EXTRA FOR SINGING HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIKE THAT … LIKE SHUT UP ITS LITERALLY JUST A BIRTHDAY SONG,” @RandyFanBoy wrote.
The reason for the backlash all comes down to being a “pick me.”
A “pick me,” a sometimes misogynistic title often attributed to young women, is a term that describes a person who is so hungry for attention, they’ll find a way to center themselves at the heart of every situation.
One example frequently used to describe a “pick me” on social media is a woman saying “I don’t get along with other girls” as a way to differentiate themselves from other women.
In Meena’s case, TikTok took issue with the birthday scene because Meena sings to her grandfather, her voice soaring and riffing throughout, only to act embarrassed when her family notice’s her talent.
‘Meena be doin the most’
An account, called @MeenaTheGoofyPickMe, has more than 43,000 followers and is dedicated to making fun of the character.
A handful of people on TikTok pointed out that the Meena moment has started to cross a line, noting that some used the trend to hate on the character for her size and weight and mocking her for being “obese.”
However, most have used the trend to joke about someone in their lives — a lady at church or a musical theater kid — who go a little overboard for attention.
Kelly even jumped in on the Meena slander herself, posting a TikTok on Jan. 21 in which she lip-synced the over-the-top “Happy Birthday” scene, writing on the video: “[Point of view]: Your character is mad extra.”
She captioned the video, “Meena be doin the most.”
NBCUniversal, Kelly and Meena did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kalhan Rosenblatt is a reporter covering youth and internet culture for NBC News, based in New York.
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