Before Dec. 4 2024, Luigi Mangione was simply a name to most Americans (albeit a very Italian one). Now the suspect in the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Mangione has reached a level of celebrity most entertainers strive toward for decades. All it took was a little love on TikTok, millions of Americans airing their grievances with for-profit health insurance companies, and a couple murder charges.
There are several reasons Mangione is now a household name, and every one of them has been amplified by social media. Some people resonate with his status as a folk hero, seeing him as a representation of the frustrations they’ve felt in dealings with their own health insurance companies. Others appreciate his movie-star good looks, creating K-pop-esque fandom edits using photos of him and tracking down the exact sweater he wore during a court appearance. As usual, when it comes to the internet, others appreciate that he gives them the opportunity to produce memes.
The outpouring of support for Mangione among Gen Z and younger millennials will likely be studied for years to come, and when that day arrives, these TikToks will be a part of the curriculum. However you feel about the crime(s) Mangione’s been accused of, you can’t deny he’s facilitating important discourse about class consciousness, and at the very least, inspiring some entertaining TikToks. Here’s 10 of our favorite Luigi Mangione TikToks.
10. “The last thing the CEO saw”
Obviously, with a name that looks like “Luigi’s Mansion” at a glance, the Mario Bros. memes were going to pour in. This was one of the first to really blow up on the app, thanks to a silly impression and a well-utilized Luigi filter.
9. “But Luigi, you have triggered class consciousness!”
One talented TikTok creator put their voice talents to work and created a skit where Mario confronts his brother after hearing of his attempts to bring “retribution” to the Mushroom Kingdom. Maybe if Mario saw how many 1-Up mushrooms Bowser had, he would understand why Luigi did what he did (allegedly).
8. “Super Smash Bros. Luigi”
Leave it to people on TikTok to find this Luigi victory pose from one of the Super Smash Bros. games in what feels like moments after Mangione’s name was released as a suspect.
7. “YOU GOT BARRICADE?!”
One TikTok user stumbled across the NYPD parading Mangione around for a photo opportunity ahead of his court appearance. The perp walk has been criticized as an attempt to make an example of Mangione, but it’s only made him look more appealing to the masses if anything.
6. “If I were the McDonald’s worker”
Mangione was famously spotted by a McDonald’s worker in Pennsylvania, and the internet promptly labeled said worker as a snitch. “I would have given him a free meal and my number,” writes one commenter on this TikTok, a sentiment others share given the amount of thirst edits Mangione has inspired.
5. “Who allowed this on national news”
Speaking of TikTok thirst edits, mainstream media got wind of those videos almost immediately. ABC broadcast this (admittedly tame) edit set to Britney Spears’ “Criminal” as part of a news segment on Mangione. I mean, can you blame TikTok when he looks like that?
4. The Phantom Thieves try to steal Brian Thompson’s heart
Persona 5’s Phantom Thieves earned their fame by forcing the rich and powerful to admit to their crimes through their escapades into the Metaverse, but Thompson’s shooter had a different method. This TikTok is pretty niche and technically not about Mangione — who deserves a free trial and is innocent until proven guilty — but it’s too good to not include.
3. “What would Luigi do?”
One TikTok user jokes about “the secret third option” when your doctor doesn’t accept your insurance. Insurance companies hate this trick!
2. Luigi is so brat, allegedly
There’s still a possibility Mangione might not be a killer, but if this Spotify screenshot is real, he has killer taste in music. Who would have pegged him as a Swiftie?
1. Lugi has an alibi
After Mangione was named a suspect, people clamored to prove his innocence. This pizza shop asserts that Mangione was busy in the kitchen on Dec. 4, 2024 and has video evidence to back it up. Seems like a rock-solid alibi to me!
Published: Dec 29, 2024 11:00 am