Carved Jack-O-Lanterns. (Photo by: GHI/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Bow down, faithful trick-or-treaters, for a new Halloween icon has arisen; his head might be a carved pumpkin, but he is not a Jack-o-Lantern — his name is Lewis, and he fears nothing but the autumn wind.
Who (Or What) Is Lewis?
“Lewis” is a Halloween decoration sold by Target that unexpectedly went viral on TikTok, inspiring a meme.
While Home Depot’s now-infamous giant skeleton went viral for being such a surreal sight, standing tall in suburbia, Lewis looks like any other flimsy dollar store decoration (although, at $180, he’s certainly not cheap).
It’s Lewis’ distinctive voice, one-liners and rejection of the “Jack-o-Lantern” label that made him go viral. According to KnowYourMeme, TikTok creator @imshannonduh discovered Lewis in a store and posted the first widely-viewed clip of him, sparking a trend.
The unnamed performer who voiced Lewis really nailed it; TikTok fell in love with Lewis’ campy crypt keeper cackle and corny puns, and soon, a fandom was spawned.
“My name is Lewis” is the most popular of the pumpkin’s catchphrases, but he also says, “I fear nothing, night or day, except a strong breeze to make me sway” and “I’m so happy you could CARVE out some time to come out tonight.”
On TikTok, the hashtag #mynameislewis currently sits at more than 38 million views. The hooded pumpkin’s popularity inspired many content creators to make pilgrimages to Target in the hope of paying their respects in person, and the occasional doorstep sighting has been dutifully documented for TikTok, though some fear that he might be stolen if left outside alone.
The first wave of Lewis content was mostly footage of TikTokers repeatedly pressing his “try me” button (pity the long-suffering staff at Target), but others had a more creative approach. Some have assembled their own Lewis costumes, built their own Lewis decorations, or drawn detailed fan art and animated Lewis delivering his lines.
The Lewis mythos continues to evolve, as fans have taken his sassy personality and given the pumpkin some character development, speculating on his (presumably tragic) backstory, even heralding him as an LGBTQ icon.
The Halloween decoration is already sold out; who could have predicted that the internet would take such a liking to Lewis?
Amusingly, product reviews for Lewis are flooded with 5-star testimonials, as happy customers attest that Lewis “slays,” writing slogans like “Live Laugh Love Lewis.”
For those wondering, Target lists Lewis as a “ghoul,” which solves the mystery of his true identity, and perhaps, explains his reluctance to identify as a Jack-o-Lantern.
