Why Are People Infatuated with Minions?
How lovable yellow sidekicks transcended the kiddie demo.

Why do so many people — grown adults included — moon over the Minions? These yellow jelly-bean sidekicks from the Despicable Me movies seemed like cutesy throwaway characters in a blah children’s feature. At first, I had them confused with the little green aliens in the Toy Story films. I don’t know anything about the Minions, but I’m seeing them everywhere. What is it about these overall-clad, mumbling, bumbling goofs that have endeared them to so many people, both child and adult?
The spinoff is not new to Hollywood, though Star Wars is about to make it an epidemic. On occasion, a supporting character from a film will gain more popularity than the central figure. The idea makes sense, but to center an entire film around three lumpy yellow oafs who don’t speak in complete sentences seemed borderline desperate to this layman.
somehow i think we're crossing the threshold between minion hatred and unironic minion love. we just keep talking about minions
— Tessa Gross (@gr0sse) July 1, 2015
Kids’ love is obvious. The Minions are candylike, small and sweet, and brightly colored, living in an animated world where anything goes. Kids tolerate vegetables who talk. Kids naturally relate to characters who are small. But the adults? The ones appearing at sporting events and public places dressed as begoggled gelcaps, the accountants and office managers counting down the days before this spinoff hits theaters? What’s their deal?
i still really want to cosplay as a Minion at the Minions movie
— weepy @ Villain-Con (@weepysweetmonty) July 2, 2015
The #Minions premiere is right around the corner. Ensure EVERY member of the family is ready. http://t.co/ms35jEemwv pic.twitter.com/T2DPTgZwlM
— BuyCostumes.com (@BuyCostumes) June 17, 2015
.@Minions love @hodakotb & @MLauer! #MinionsTODAY pic.twitter.com/IaUcVlskB4
— Kathie Lee and Hoda (@klgandhoda) July 8, 2015
In the future there is nothing left but all of the unsold minions merchandise and historians will think we worshipped them
— Cat Food (@cats520) July 8, 2015
Maybe we don’t need to overthink this. Minions just seem to make adults happy. They are slight and fat, and they are troublemakers and a little stupid but with panache. Like any animated film worth its salt, Minions will have more humor aimed at the adult being dragged to the movie than the kids who will enjoy the visuals.
Is there a support group for people whose moms love minions?
— Rob DenBleyker (@RobDenBleyker) July 8, 2015
The very name, too, Minions, strikes a chord with the Average Joe riding the bus to a cubicle where he has to shuffle TPS reports all day. These Minions are underdogs, like so many great comedy teams. Abbott and Costello would dig Minions. The Marx Brothers would sit in the back row and chortle, or maybe play the harp.
how could you not like minions they're innocent and cute and cuddly and love bananas they only eat bananas
— iz (@pockymyun) July 1, 2015
The made-for-Halloween-costume heroes are headed for a massive opening weekend at the box office, probably north of $100 million. And that’s enough for anything to sink its claws into the 2015 landscape of trending topics.
I mean, these things do look hella funny: