This week, visitors to Highgate Cemetery in London were surprised to find a Labubu plush toy resting atop the grave of Karl Marx, the 19th‑century philosopher celebrated for critiquing capitalist consumerism. The quirky vinyl doll, produced by Pop Mart and mass‑marketed through blind boxes, is emblematic of contemporary consumer culture - exactly what Marx critiqued in his writings.

Photos of the toy prompted a flurry of reactions online. One user on X exclaimed, “is that a f***ing labubu?” while another quipped, “Labubu could be one of the most anti‑Marx things”. Many saw irony in the plush toy’s placement—an icon of capitalist mass‑production perched on the resting place of a man who famously opposed commodification.

The doll’s rise to fame in recent years - thanks to celebrity endorsements and Gen Z fandom - has sparked deeper conversations. Originally created in 2015 by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and popularized by Pop Mart, Labubu has inspired both trend fever and supernatural conspiracy theories, even being compared to the demon Pazuzu on social media.

Whether intended as homage, prank, or satire, the presence of a consumer‑culture symbol at Marx’s grave has become a viral metaphor - prompting reflection on how we remember radical histories in an age of mass consumption.