Ariana Grande Licking A Lollipop is an object labeling meme built from a June 2018 paparazzi shot of the pop singer walking through New York City with then-fiancé Pete Davidson. In the picture Grande looks giddy with a red lollipop while a hooded Davidson stares at the pavement, and edits cast her as innocent hopes and him as looming bad decisions.
Origin
The photos were taken on June 20th, 2018 and first published by People during the frenzy around Grande and Davidson's short-lived engagement[1]. Within days, the shot spread beyond entertainment coverage as fans zeroed in on the cartoonish mismatch between Grande's sunny mood and Davidson's slouched, hooded posture[5].
- Platform: People (photo source) / Instagram (viral spread)
- Creator: Unknown
- Date: 2018
Overview
Ariana Grande Licking A Lollipop is an object labeling meme drawn from a paparazzi shot of the pop singer strolling through New York City with her then-fiancé Pete Davidson in June 2018[1]. In the picture Grande wears a bright yellow sweatshirt and stares happily at Davidson while licking a red lollipop, and Davidson trudges alongside her in a black hoodie with his face pointed at the pavement[5].
The visual contrast between the two figures gave meme makers a ready-made template. Grande's smiling, sugar-in-hand pose was labeled with hopeful, wholesome, or oblivious ideas, while the gloomy Davidson stood in for whatever bad decision or looming consequence was about to catch up with her[3].
How It Spread
BuzzFeed ran a joke deep-dive on the photograph in late June 2018, pretending to give the composition serious visual analysis and fixating on the apartment building behind the couple[2]. Around the same time, the Instagram account @notallgeminis started dropping astrology object-labeling versions that cast Grande as the naive zodiac sign and Davidson as the toxic one it dates, and Cheezburger later rounded up fifteen of those posts in a listicle[3].
The template kept moving on Instagram through summer 2018. A repost by @girlwithnojob passed 51,000 likes, and a Game of Thrones fan account version cleared 830 likes, both flagged by Clevver in its own roundup of the format[4].
How to Use
The template treats Grande as the smiling character heading into a situation and Davidson as the ugly outcome waiting on the other side. Users typically pair a wholesome label on Grande, such as 'me' or 'my hopes,' with a darker label on Davidson, often a chore, hangover, or self-inflicted problem[3].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ariana Grande Licking A Lollipop?
It is an object labeling meme built from a June 2018 paparazzi photo of Ariana Grande walking through New York City with Pete Davidson while licking a red lollipop[1].
Where did Ariana Grande Licking A Lollipop come from?
The image was shot on June 20th, 2018 in New York City and first published by People during the couple's engagement coverage[1].
What does Ariana Grande Licking A Lollipop mean?
Edits use the contrast between cheerful Grande and hooded Davidson to label a hopeful choice against the bad outcome tied to it[3].
How do you use Ariana Grande Licking A Lollipop?
Slap a wholesome or naive label on Grande and a negative one on Davidson, such as pairing 'me' with a chore or self-inflicted problem[3].
Is Ariana Grande Licking A Lollipop still popular?
The template peaked in the summer of 2018 alongside the couple's brief engagement and is now remembered as a period piece from that year's Instagram meme output[5].
