What makes Labubu so lovable? The psychology behind ‘ugly cute' appeal

South China Morning Post

3 days ago

On August 8, a two-year-old hairless English-French bulldog mix named Petunia waddled across the stage at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Santa Rosa, California, to claim the US$5,000 top prize at this year's World's Ugliest Dog Contest. Petunia's wrinkly skin and pug-like face might not be conventionally cute but, like the nine other competing dogs, they still sparked a familiar reaction: the uncontrollable urge to scoop her up like a baby.
A dog named Petunia wins the annual World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Santa Rosa, California, on August 8. Photo: Reuters
This strange affection has a name: ugly cute. One of its earliest homes online was the subreddit r/uglycute, a community of fewer than 200 members sharing goofy, quirky images of animals, mostly pets, 'so ugly, they're cute'. Created in 2013 and relatively inactive for years, the forum has stayed small but the aesthetic it celebrates has since exploded across the internet, fuelled by the rise of its latest mascot:
Labubu
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Labubu, an elflike doll with a toothy grin and large ears, has ignited a global frenzy since gaining mainstream attention around 2024. Designed by
Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung , the figure has become the poster child for the ugly-cute craze.
Shoppers walk by a collection of Labubu toys in a Pop Mart outlet in Hangzhou, China, in July. Photo: Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
And Labubu isn't alone. Its creepy cousin Fuggler dolls, with their gremlin looks and disturbingly human teeth, have also surged in popularity. British toy trade magazine Toy World reports a 247 per cent rise in sales in the UK this past year, as more collectors lean into the same offbeat appeal.
But what exactly makes something ugly … adorable?
Scientists point to 'baby schema', a set of facial traits – large eyes, round cheeks and small nose – that trigger an instinctive caretaking response in humans. It's an evolutionary reflex that helped infants survive, now hijacked by dolls, pets and memes. A 2009 study titled 'Baby Schema in Infant Faces Induces Cuteness Perception and Motivation for Caretaking in Adults' helped codify the phenomenon.
Various colourful Fuggler dolls, which are distinctive for their unnerving, human-like teeth. Photo: @fugglers/Instagram
Even the blobfish, once dubbed the ugliest animal alive after an image of the deep-sea fish out of water went viral in 2003, was voted New Zealand's 'fish of the year' this March.