The Mannequin Challenge is a viral Internet video trend that started in 2016 where people remain frozen in action while a video is recorded, usually with music in the background. The hashtag#MannequinChallenge was used for popular social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. It is believed the phenomenon of remaining motionless like mannequins was started by students from Edward H White High School in Jacksonville, Florida on October 26, 2016. The initial posting has inspired works by others groups, especially professional athletes and sports teams that have posted increasingly complex and elaborate videos.
News outlets have compared the videos to scenes from science fiction films, such as X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, The Matrix, Lost in Space or Buffalo ’66, while the participatory nature of the challenge makes it similar to memes such as Makankosappo or the Harlem Shake. Others have noted similarities with the HBO TV series Westworld, where robotic hosts can be stopped in their tracks.
The world of BJJ has also responded with their own Mannequin challenges. Here are the best ones so far:
