About

Cumbrellas, also known as What Fake Eyelashes Were Originally Called, is a slang term and misinformation meme claiming that the original name for false eyelashes is "cumbrellas" and that they were invented in 1882 by a prostitute named Gerda Puridle to keep semen out of girls' eyes. The supposed story and original name are false, with fake eyelashes actually being first patented by a Canadian inventor in 1911. The story spread from a meme originally posted online in January 2021, inspiring numerous viral videos and memes sharing it, including Don't Google videos on sites like TikTok. The story went viral several times on sites including Instagram and Facebook throughout the 2020s.

Origin

On January 28th, 2021, iFunny^[1] user KingAlex posted a did you know style image macro using a photo of French actress Alice Regnault beside a block of text claiming that fake eyelashes were originally called "cumbrellas" and were invented in 1882 by prostitute Gerda Puridle to keep semen out of working girls' eyes, garnering over 41,500 smiles in two years (shown below). This is the earliest available version of the post.

On February 3rd, UrbanDictionary^[2] user pogpextreme defined the term "cumbrella," taking the definition from the meme, garnering over 490 thumbs-ups in two years.

In 1882, London prostitute Gerda Puridle invented elongated eye lashes or "cumbrellas" to block semen from getting in working girls' eyes that are worn today as common fashion.

“Hold ye horses, John. Thou art welcome to don thine cum on thou face, for I’ve applied my cumbrellas.”

Spread

On February 4th, 2021, TikToker^[3] @ellice.oconnor_ posted a video sharing the alleged story and original name of fake eyelashes, garnering over 200,000 views in two years (shown below). On February 9th, USA Today^[4] reported on the meme after it purportedly went viral on Facebook, debunking the claim and explaining how fake eyelashes were first patented by Canadian inventor Anna Taylor on June 6th, 1911, and were never officially named "cumbrellas."

Despite being debunked, the story continued to spread over the following years. On April 26th, 2022, TIkToker^[5] @erin_cruis3 posted a video saying she was today years old when she learned about the story, garnering over 2.5 million views in a year (shown below, left). On March 4th, 2023, TIkToker^[6] @fghuuxzujmo posted a video of Sneako telling the story to some girls, garnering over 3.6 million views in six months (shown below, right).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References