In a digital world full of emojis that help us express joy, sadness, laughter, and love, there’s one emoji that has puzzled and amused the internet for years: the man in business suit levitating. What started as a little-known icon has unexpectedly turned into a viral meme, becoming part of internet culture in a big way.
But how did this quirky figure go from being ignored to being one of the internet’s most bizarre and beloved symbols? In this article, we’ll explore the history, meaning, and meme journey of the man in business suit levitating, and how something so strange became so relatable.
The Origins of Man in Business Suit Levitating
The man in business suit levitating emoji was introduced in Unicode 7.0 in 2014. It was initially designed to represent a man dressed in formal attire, mysteriously floating a few inches above the ground. The design, especially on older platforms, looked more like a spooky magician or a stylish ghost than anything business-related.
Interestingly, the design is inspired by the logo of a band called The Specials, a British ska group from the late 1970s. Their “2 Tone” record label logo features a similar levitating man in a suit, hat, and sunglasses, hence the emoji’s odd appearance. Though it was intended to represent style and coolness, users quickly found it mysterious and funny instead.
What Does the Emoji Mean?
Technically, the man in business suit levitating emoji is supposed to represent a person “jumping for joy in a suit,” or someone so stylish and confident they’re floating with pride. But because of its unusual design, many users didn’t know what to make of it.
Instead of using it seriously, people began using the emoji in humorous and ironic ways. It was too weird to use in everyday conversation, but just weird enough to be funny.
How It Became a Meme
Around 2018, internet users began noticing how random the man in business suit levitating emoji looked in group chats or social posts. People started using it as a punchline, a reaction, or a visual joke when words just weren’t enough.
For example, someone might tweet, “When I finish one task at work,” followed by the man in business suit levitating perfectly, capturing that moment of absurd, undeserved pride. It became a way to show exaggerated confidence or mock someone taking themselves too seriously.
From Reddit threads to TikTok videos, the emoji took on a life of its own. Suddenly, man in business suit levitating wasn’t just an emoji it was a character, a meme, and even a mood.
Popular Use Cases
The versatility of the man in business suit levitating emoji is part of what made it meme-worthy. People began pairing it with captions like:
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“Me after doing the bare minimum at work.”
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“When you wear a suit for the first time.”
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“This is how I feel when no one can beat me at Mario Kart.”
Because of its blank expression, hovering stance, and formal outfit, it became the perfect stand-in for people acting way too cool or proud. It says everything and nothing at the same time.
Social Media’s Role in Its Popularity
As with most memes, social media played a huge role in pushing the man in business suit levitating into the spotlight. Twitter users turned it into reaction content, while TikTok creators began making short skits or edits featuring the emoji with dramatic music or sound effects.
Memes often get recycled, but the charm of man in business suit levitating is that it never really stopped being funny. Its sheer randomness and unexplained nature made it evergreen. The more out of context it appeared, the funnier it became.
Why People Love It
There’s something undeniably charming about how useless but hilarious the man in business suit levitating is. It serves no real purpose in communication, and that’s exactly why people adore it. In a time when emojis are becoming increasingly specific, this one feels open to interpretation.
It’s become a meme, a joke, a personality, and even a fashion statement. Some fans have even recreated the outfit in real life or made fan art to celebrate the emoji.
The fact that this emoji is essentially just a man in a suit hovering in midair with no context or explanation is what makes it so appealing. It’s the ultimate emoji for irony, and internet culture loves irony.
Spin-Offs and Imitations
With the rise in popularity of the man in business suit levitating, artists and meme-makers have started creating different versions like levitating cats in suits, floating businessmen with briefcases, or full comic strips featuring the emoji as the star character.
Even brands have occasionally tried to tap into the meme’s power, using it in social media posts aimed at younger audiences. The emoji’s cool-yet-confusing look makes it ideal for brands trying to be “in on the joke.”
Final Thoughts
The rise of the man in business suit levitating emoji is a perfect example of how the internet turns the strange into the iconic. What started as a barely-noticed image in the emoji library has become a widely used, ironic symbol of modern meme culture.
Its humor lies in its mystery. No one knows why it exists, and that’s what makes it so fun to use. Whether you’re showing off fake confidence, mocking a corporate lifestyle, or just looking for a laugh, the man in business suit levitating is there, hovering quietly in your emoji keyboard, waiting to make the moment weirder and better.
