Ayuwoki: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Ayuwoki is the latest meme to emanate from the depths of the internet. The meme is an animatronic Michael Jackson figure. The name comes from Jackson’s, “Annie, are you okay?” lyric from “Smooth Criminal.” Unlike previous memes from the website, it has been treated very much has a joke by social media users.

Infamously, in 2014, two 12-year-old girls, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, lured their friend, Payton Leutner, into the woods with the idea of murdering her to prove skeptics of Slender Man, wrong. Slender Man, a horror cartoon figure which had become a meme, had first appeared on Creepypasta with many users believing him to be real.

The two girls were later found not guilty by reason of insanity but were sentenced to long periods in mental health facilities. Leutner made a full recovery from the stab wounds she received in the attack.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. The Original Ayuwoki Video Appeared in 2009

The original YouTube video featuring Ayuwoki appeared in July 2009, shortly after Michael Jackson died at the age of 50. The video is titled, “My Ghoul Jackson,” and shows an animatronic version of Jackson that is dressed like the singer. The video was uploaded by user “thomasrengstorff.”

2. The Meme Appears to Children at 3 a.m. & Says ‘Hee Hee’

Getty

Notimerica, the meme originated in Latin America, reports that Ayuwoki appears at 3:00 a.m. to people as it is considered “The Hour of the Devil.” Ayuwoki then says, “Hee hee.” The challenge is to fall asleep before 3:00 a.m. in order to avoid Ayuwoki. Also, Ayuwoki will only appear to you if you have heard or seen something about him.

3. Meme Creators Have Been Expanding on the Ayuwoki Myth

Meme creators have been expanding on the Ayuwoki meme with hilarious results. Here are some of the best creations:

4. The Latest Meme Hit Just as ‘Finding Neverland’ Aired

It cannot go unnoticed that the Ayuwoki meme began appearing on social media in the immediate aftermath of the airing of “Leaving Neverland.” The documentary aired on HBO and shed new light on allegations brought against Michael Jackson by James Safechuck and Wade Robson. The film had been objected to by the Jackson family who have said that the two accusers are merely looking for publicity.

5. Some Have Likened Ayuwoki to Momo of ‘Momo Challenge’ Fame

Instagram

The similarity of Ayuwoki and Momo, from “Momo Challenge” fame, cannot be denied. Track Record published an article detailing the differences between the two memes. Momo was a statue created by Japanese artist Keisuke Aiso. The other main difference is the fact that many falsely pushed the “Momo Challenge” as being real.

That prompted YouTube to release a statement saying there was no evidence that an evil character, Momo, was appearing in children’s videos and telling kids to hurt themselves and others. The statement read, “We want to clear something up regarding the Momo Challenge: We’ve seen no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube. Videos encouraging harmful and dangerous challenges are against our policies.”

READ NEXT: Michigan School Teachers Admit to Making Adult Movies on the Side