The internet sure loves a cuddly eldritch horror that takes the form of a corporate mascot, but though it seemed like no terror would ever rise to meet what the Philadelphia Flyers unleashed with Gritty, NERF recently brought forth a horrifying challenger with Murph.

Murph has become a minor celebrity online in recent weeks, as the soft, squishy being made out of NERF darts captured the internet's imagination and inspired a bevy of new memes on social media, including a meme that has turned Murph into an unlikely LGBTQ+ icon.

Here, we'll explain what's the whole deal with "Murph."

What Is Murph?

Murph the NERF mascot is a humanoid monster made entirely of NERF darts. By Hasbro's own description, Murph is intended to represent the "ageless, unbridled fun that lives in all of us and creates a physical embodiment of that feeling you get when you play with Nerf." Murph is the center of an ad campaign designed by NERF titled "Unleash the play in you," which many have deemed a vaguely foreboding slogan for the creature.

Remarkably, the company declined to specify the gender of Murph and made clear that Murph should be referred to with "They/Them" pronouns. This seems like a very deliberate choice on the part of Hasbro, as it would seem easy to simply say Murph is a male, considering the name "Murphy" is generally considered a male name. This would become a major part of why Murph would find a fandom online over the following weeks.

What Does The Internet Think Of Murph?

As with Gritty before them, Murph was first met with shock at their uncanny, arguably creepy design before developing into something of a folk hero. Initial memes and fan art around the character heightened their unsettling design, making Murph seem far more threatening than perhaps Hasbro intended.

Once the initial shock of Murph wore off, however, they were celebrated, particularly among the LGBTQ+ community for being explicitly genderless. One commenter wrote, "I am being 100% sincere when I say this is the first instance of non-binary representation in commercial advertising that actually feels like it could have been devised by a trans person. This design f***ing rules."

Additionally, Murph has appeared alongside Gritty in pieces of fan art, suggesting the internet is ready to anoint them Gritty's successor for left-leaning causes. As Gritty became a joking symbol for Antifa among some memers, Murph began appearing as a symbol for LGBTQ+ rights.

What's The Future For Murph?

Though Murph has already caused quite a stir online, they actually haven't appeared in a NERF ad yet, as the "Unleash the Play In You" campaign hasn't officially started. Murph is on Twitter, however, where they've begun to establish a meme-literate rapport with the masses.

It’s Murphin’ Time! https://t.co/SwKse308OI

— Murph (@MurphFromNerf) June 27, 2022

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For more information on Murph, check out our entry here.