X roasts Greta: He-Man with a Haircut
Greta Thunberg’s new haircut sparks viral memes comparing her to He-Man, Lord Farquaad, and Prince Valiant, mixing activism with pop-culture ridicule.
A recent wave of online mockery and memes have targeted climate activist Greta Thunberg's recent short haircut, which many users on X (formerly Twitter) have compared to the iconic bob style of He-Man from the 1980s cartoon "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe." The post, which went viral, features a side-by-side image: one showing Thunberg with her new blunt, shoulder-length cut and straight bangs while outdoors near boats, and the other depicting He-Man's similar blonde hairstyle and stern expression.
This all stems from photos of Thunberg surfacing recently, apparently during what some reports describe as her "latest mercy trip" to deliver food and supplies to Gaza, though her voyage was reportedly cut short by bad weather. The 22-year-old activist's new look, a choppy, pageboy-style cut, quickly sparked humorous and critical reactions across X, with users roasting her by drawing parallels to various pop culture figures. Beyond He-Man, common comparisons include Lord Farquaad from the "Shrek" films (noted for his dark, bowl-cut vibe), Prince Valiant from classic comics, and even more niche or derogatory takes like a "caveman" or "Hitler Youth" style.
High-profile figures jumped in too: Conservative commentator Meghan McCain posted a snarky remark likening Thunberg's hair to Lord Farquaad's, which drew significant backlash online, with critics resurfacing McCain's own past hairstyles and praising Thunberg's pro-Palestine activism. Other X posts amplified the jokes, such as one user quipping that Thunberg is "transitioning into He-Man starting with the haircut," or another suggesting generational divides based on who the style reminds them of (e.g., Boomers seeing Prince Valiant, Gen X seeing He-Man, Millennials seeing Lord Farquaad). Some reactions veered into harsher territory, calling the haircut "cringe," "gross," or "retarded," while others defended her or noted it makes her look more "manic pixie dream girl."
Overall, the trend highlights how Thunberg's public image often becomes fodder for internet humor, blending her activism with viral, appearance-based digs. The roasting has spread beyond X to outlets like Sky News Australia and the Daily Star, framing it as a "bizarre" or "dodgy" change that "shocks the world."