Key Takeaways
- Here's what happened: Michelle Yeoh's 'MM to WW' catchphrase—'Madame Morrible, MM, flip it around, Wicked Witch'—exploded from Wicked: For viral press in late 2025, turning into the Madame Morrible meme and hitting over 100M combined views across platforms by early 2026.[1][2]f="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/11/22/how-wicked-for-viral-connects-to-the-wizard-of-oz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1][2]
- Here's what happened next: TikTok compilations and recreations of the Madame Morrible meme drove the viral surge, with top posts grabbing 10M+ plays in days.[1][2]f="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/11/22/how-wicked-for-viral-connects-to-the-wizard-of-oz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1][2]
- But there's a downside:: Yeoh's hand gestures forming 'MM' and 'WW' became the Madame Morrible meme's signature, turning it into a 'vocal stim' for fans.[1]href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/11/22/how-wicked-for-viral-connects-to-the-wizard-of-oz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1]
- On top of that, links to costume Easter eggs in the film amplified the Madame Morrible meme trend, revealing Morrible's villain arc visually.[3]href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/11/23/the-twist-ending-of-wicked-for-viral-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[3]
- Plus, cross-platform spread from X to Instagram and TikTok shows the Madame Morrible meme cementing Wicked's meme dominance over other 2025 blockbusters.[1][2]f="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/11/22/how-wicked-for-viral-connects-to-the-wizard-of-oz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1][2]
These points capture the core of why this Madame Morrible meme bit owns feeds right now. Look, if you've scrolled TikTok lately, you've seen it.[1]href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/11/22/how-wicked-for-viral-connects-to-the-wizard-of-oz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1]
What Happened?
First off, during the Wicked: For headline-grabbing press tour, Michelle Yeoh took a throwaway character reveal and spun it into pure internet gold. Here's where it gets good: playing Madame Morrible—the headmistress who flips to full villain—she latched onto her initials and unintentionally launched the Madame Morrible meme. So when she hit, “MM, flip it around, Wicked Witch!” she didn’t say it—she spelled it out with her fingers, letter by letter, and the timelines ate it up.[1][2]
October 8, 2025. That's where this starts. Full cast Fandango interview. Yeoh drops the line. Her hands flick. Pure spell energy. Here’s what I mean. One tiny move, ridiculous meme energy—just a single sharp gesture the internet refuses to stop replaying on loop. No loud fanfare. That’s the soft launch. The moment the Madame Morrible meme quietly enters the chat and starts warming up in everyone’s For You Page. Look, to put it another way, it’s the exact split second when the internet hasn’t realized it’s obsessed yet, but the hook is already set and pulling everyone in. First off, for starters, a single clip quietly racks up 370K YouTube views in just a month.[1] By comparison, not blockbuster numbers. But enough to prove something’s catching—and about to snowball. She’s in. Locked in. Then November 17 hits like a montage: Hollywood Reporter chat at around 6K views, a Jimmy Fallon reupload blasting past 170K, and a quieter Today Show hit sitting near 20K. Same..noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1] She's hooked. Later on, jump to November 17. From there, momentum doesn’t just build—it detonates. Views jump, stitches multiply, and the Madame Morrible meme blasts out of theater-kid TikTok and into full mainstream chaos. On top of that, On top of that, The Hollywood Reporter chat pulls around 6K views, Fallon’s reupload pushes 170K, and even the Today Show segment clocks 20K—three wildly different audiences, all getting Morrible-pilled on the same week. Every time, same vibe. Grinning. Gesturing wildly. That unhinged, theatrical energy is the throughline that makes every new version instantly recognizable.[1][2]
X notices quick. Then, a November 11 post by @valkelphie: 'michelle genuinely loves the mm to ww bit so much 😭😭' 18K views, 700 likes.[1] From there, compilations of the Madame Morrible meme follow. To drill down, To drive it home, TikTok @britandco November 24: 'Me and bestie when we find a new vocal stim.' 1.6M plays, 400K likes in a week.[1]pener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1] Compilations follow. TikTok @britandco November 24: 'Me and bestie when we find a new vocal stim.' 1.6M plays, 400K likes in a week.[1]
Peak chaos December 1. @MiloManheim TikTok ties his own initials to the Madame Morrible meme bit—10M plays, 3M likes in three days.[1] Instagram @sw35tener compilation: 1M plays.[1] @rtwinther's fast-clip edit: 90K likes.[1] By 2026, it's crossed 100M total views. Comment sections? Wild. Everyone quoting Yeoh.[2]e="Source: forbes.com">[1] Instagram @sw35tener compilation: 1M plays.[1] @rtwinther's fast-clip edit: 90K likes.[1] By 2026, it's crossed 100M total views. Comment sections? Wild. Everyone quoting Yeoh.[2]
Key players: Yeoh owning the Madame Morrible meme, TikTokers remixing, Wicked cast like Milo jumping in. No coordinated push— pure, obsessive promo charm.[1][2]f="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/11/22/how-wicked-for-viral-connects-to-the-wizard-of-oz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1][2]
Background and Context
This Madame Morrible meme didn't pop from nowhere. Wicked: For Viral leans straight into the musical’s lore, turning Madame Morrible’s weather magic into full-on tyranny—and that villain arc translates perfectly into meme language. Her whole arc screams villain—blinded by ambition, throwing in with the Wizard for power at any cost.[3] Yeoh clocks that "MM to WW" flip instantly and turns it into perfect shorthand: one tiny phrase that sells the character, the plot twist, and the meme all at once. Smart promo for a plot point fans..iral-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[3] Yeoh spotted the 'MM to WW' flip as perfect shorthand. Smart promo for a plot point fans geek over.[1][3]
Costume hints baked it in. Designer France Hannon swirled Morrible’s hair into little cyclones—a literal visual of her weather power, baked right into the silhouette. Wardrobe shifts tell the story. She starts in prim gold-and-blue at Shiz University, then slowly syncs with Elphaba, her palette darkening as their bond—and the plot—twists. Evolves purple (Glinda influence?), then green for Emerald City greed, visually seeding the Madame Morrible meme for fans who obsess over tiny details. Stage musical amps it with puffy co..ource: forbes.com">[3] Wardrobe shifts: Starts gold-blue at Shiz University, bonds with Elphaba. Evolves purple (Glinda influence?), then green for Emerald City greed.[3] Stage musical amps it with puffy collars, cloud effects. Films nod the same. Yeoh's line spotlights it all.[3] 
Internet psychology? Repetition hooks. Yeoh says it everywhere, hands dancing. Turns into 'vocal stim'—that earworm phrase you repeat for fun, especially when a Madame Morrible meme is already lodged in your brain.[1] Platforms love it.orbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/11/22/how-wicked-for-viral-connects-to-the-wizard-of-oz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1][2] Platforms love it.
TikTok thrives on quick, gestural trends. X starts the buzz. Instagram edits accelerate. Wicked's hype—post first film smash—primed the Madame Morrible meme to detonate across feeds.[2]
Why now? Late 2025 holiday promo window. Memes fill the void between blockbusters. Compares to Cynthia Erivo's Defying Gravity screams, but Yeoh stole the show with the Madame Morrible meme. Ties into viral content hunger: Short, quotable, recreateable. No wonder it's trending hard into 2026.[1]get="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[2] Ties into viral content hunger: Short, quotable, recreateable. No wonder it's trending hard into 2026.[1][2]
Expert Reactions
Digital culture watchers can't stop talking. KnowYourMeme editors called the Madame Morrible meme Yeoh 'giving Cynthia Erivo a run'—pure meme gold from her promo obsession. They trace how one Fandango drop snowballed into cross-platform fire.[1]-ending-of-wicked-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[2] They trace how one Fandango drop snowballed into cross-platform fire.[1][2]
Meme archaeologists point to the hand gestures as the killer. 'It's visual ASMR,' one analyst noted on X, especially when tied to the Madame Morrible meme cadence. Recreations prove it—users flipping fingers in mirrors, cars, everywhere.[1] TikTok trend spotters say vocal stim labeling pushed it: @britandco's post flipped casual viewers to obsessives.[1]et="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1] TikTok trend spotters say vocal stim labeling pushed it: @britandco's post flipped casual viewers to obsessives.[1]
Film insiders love the tie-in. Costume expert Samuel James hyped the cloud-white hair sourcing on Insta—rarity matching Morrible's power and feeding the Madame Morrible meme aesthetic. Hannon's swirls foreshadow the flip Yeoh memes. 'Propaganda wardrobe,' they say, armoring up against Elphaba." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[3] Hannon's swirls foreshadow the flip Yeoh memes. 'Propaganda wardrobe,' they say, armoring up against Elphaba.[3]
Trend trackers predict legs. 'This lasts past Wicked release,' one viral psych pro tweeted about the Madame Morrible meme. Why? Layers—irony of Yeoh loving her villain, easy duets, Wicked fanbase hunger. Community dynamics shine: No gatekeeping, joyful spam. Even Milo Manheim's celeb nod boosted it 10x.[1]rget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[2] Community dynamics shine: No gatekeeping, joyful spam. Even Milo Manheim's celeb nod boosted it 10x.[1]
Critics? Some say promo overkill, but numbers don't lie. 100M+ views scream win for the Madame Morrible meme. Yeoh's joy sells the film better than trailers.[1] A woman engrossed in scrolling through TikTok, exploring the latest trends like MM to WW and Michelle Yeoh's Wicked.errer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1][2] 
Platform Breakdown and Stats
Instagram Reels exploded first with that seizure edit from @rtwinther on December 1st, 2025—straight-up 90k likes in two days, flipping Yeoh's hand gestures into a hypnotic loop that cemented the Madame Morrible meme.[1] Meanwhile, TikTok owned the compilations. @mjeedag's November 21st video hit 4 million plays and 490k likes in two wee..lank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1] Meanwhile, TikTok owned the compilations. @mjeedag's November 21st video hit 4 million plays and 490k likes in two weeks, caption screaming how much Yeoh loves her own bit.[1] @britandco followed on November 24th with 1.6 million plays, nailing that vocal stim vibe everyone relates to.[1]
YouTube Shorts jumped in later, but hard—Milo Manheim's MM to WW family reveal racked up 10 million plays in three days, crossing the Madame Morrible meme out of Wicked fandom into general chaos.[1] Total views? We're talking 100 million plus across platforms by mid-December, fueled by press tour clips from Fandango (370k v..ank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1] Total views? We're talking 100 million plus across platforms by mid-December, fueled by press tour clips from Fandango (370k views[1]), Hollywood Reporter, Today Show, and Jimmy Fallon.[1] TikTok led at 70% of traffic, Reels grabbed 20%, Shorts the rest—classic short-form takeover where algorithms reward repetition.[1][2]
Comment sections went feral. Fans cribbing they can't stop saying it, others screen-grabbing Yeoh's bob haircut and green dress for every reply to drop under a Madame Morrible meme clip. Influencer marketing played huge too—US Soccer players and KATSEYE posted their takes, pushing it mainstream. Bottom line: platforms amplified the obses..acido/2024/11/28/the-tragic-ending-of-wicked-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[2] Bottom line: platforms amplified the obsession because Yeoh delivered pure, repeatable gold.
Top Recreations and Fan Edits
Fans didn't watch—they remixed. @remfinlay's November 25th mashup glued Yeoh's flips to Lady Gaga's "100 people in a room" speech, pulling 1 million plays and 300k likes by linking two Wicked TikTok corners and cementing the Madame Morrible meme in that niche.[1] Smart move, blending hype cycles.m/sites/danidiplacido/2025/11/22/how-wicked-for-viral-connects-to-the-wizard-of-oz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1] Smart move, blending hype cycles.
Milo Manheim stole the show with his initials reveal—showing friends and family the MM to WW flip, 10 million plays easy.[1] Then sports jumped in: US Soccer crew posted their version of the Madame Morrible meme, proving even athletes can't resist.[2] Grinch edits popped up too, twisting the phrase into holiday chaos.[2]link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1] Then sports jumped in: US Soccer crew posted their version, proving even athletes can't resist.[2] Grinch edits popped up too, twisting the phrase into holiday chaos.[2]
Beauty brand Farmacy Beauty had their team goofing off mid-meeting, hands up like Yeoh, fully leaning into the Madame Morrible meme.[2] Jake_amazing dropped a full ballad for the Wicked Witch—pure creativity spark.[2] KATSEYE girls sang it out, turning it musical. These aren't lazy reposts; they're platform-native spins. TikTokers used green s..ropped a full ballad for the Wicked Witch—pure creativity spark.[2] KATSEYE girls sang it out, turning it musical. These aren't lazy reposts; they're platform-native spins. TikTokers used green screen for Yeoh face swaps, Reels favored quick cuts with that original sound.[1][2] Comment sections lit up: "This is my new vocal stim" everywhere. No BS—these edits kept the fire going because they felt personal, not corporate.
Impact on Wicked Hype
This bit supercharged Wicked: For viral buzz right when part two needed it. Cynthia Erivo dominated memes early, but Yeoh flipped the script—pun intended—stealing spotlight during November press.[1] Suddenly, Madame Morrible's villain arc (blinded by ambition[1]) became the talking point, not Elphaba or Glinda. 
Social media timelines flooded with the Madame Morrible meme, pulling casual scrollers into theater talk. Ariana Grande and cast interviews got flooded with MM/WW comments, boosting engagement 10x on official clips.[1] Influencer marketing kicked in hard—celebs like Milo crossing fandoms meant wider reach, from musical t..oz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1] Influencer marketing kicked in hard—celebs like Milo crossing fandoms meant wider reach, from musical theater kids to soccer fans.[2] Box office? Expect a lift; memes like this drive ticket sales by making villains relatable and quotable.
Gen Z latched on hard, turning this Madame Morrible meme dad-joke into their "67"—that endless repeat phrase.[2] It shifted Wicked from nostalgia to fresh internet canon. Plus, late-night drops on Fallon amplified it to boomers too. Result? Hype peaked exactly when trailers dropped, proving Yeoh's press tour was masterclas..cked from nostalgia to fresh internet canon. plus, late-night drops on Fallon amplified it to boomers too. Result? Hype peaked exactly when trailers dropped, proving Yeoh's press tour was masterclass timing.
What's Next for the Trend
Trend's not dying anytime soon. By early 2026, the Madame Morrible meme has migrated to YouTube Shorts for longer edits and Instagram Reels for polished influencer takes.[1] Watch for crossovers—expect MM to WW in non-Wicked contexts, like sports chants or brand ads (Farmacy already tested waters[2]).el="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1] Watch for crossovers—expect MM to WW in non-Wicked contexts, like sports chants or brand ads (Farmacy already tested waters[2]).
Milo's video proves the Madame Morrible meme breaks containment; next, celebs with MM initials will pile on. TikTok sounds are evolving—ballads and stim edits gaining traction.[2] However, saturation looms if Yeoh stops touring. Prediction: it lasts through Oscars 2026, then fades to niche reaction videos. Platforms will..s="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[2] However, saturation looms if Yeoh stops touring. Prediction: it lasts through Oscars 2026, then fades to niche reaction videos. Platforms will push it via For You pages till views dip. If Wicked 2 kills at box office, we see revival spikes. Straight up, this one's got legs because it's simple, visual, and endlessly riffable.
my take: Why This Meme Stuck
Michelle Yeoh handed the internet a perfect storm: her unfiltered joy in one silly observation, paired with killer hand gestures that scream "remix me" and birthed the Madame Morrible meme.[1] It spread because we all crave those earworm phrases—think how Defying Gravity owned last year, now this owns villain era.[2] Platforms ate it u..rrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1] It spread because we all crave those earworm phrases—think how Defying Gravity owned last year, now this owns villain era.[2] Platforms ate it up, stats prove it: 100 million views isn't luck, it's algorithm catnip across TikTok, Reels, and Shorts.
Here's what matters: in a sea of forced viral attempts, Yeoh's genuine obsession behind the Madame Morrible meme felt real. Fans built on it with edits that hit personal notes—stims, family reacts, even Grinch twists.[1][2] Wicked hype? Skyrocketed, pulling diverse crowds. Looking ahead, expect echoes in award seasons and fan cons..get="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="citation-link" title="Source: forbes.com">[1][2] Wicked hype? Skyrocketed, pulling diverse crowds. Looking ahead, expect echoes in award seasons and fan cons. You won't stop saying it because, flipped around, it's pure magic. The timeline stays wild—grab the popcorn for part two's fallout.