About

Half-headed mugshot is a viral image that consists of a man with a large portion of the top of his head missing. It appears to have been the unfortunate result of a deformity or accident. The man represents a prime example of how neuroplasticity allows the brain to rewire itself when massive amounts of brain tissue has been lost. See also Phineas Gage.

The image has been photoshopped with the cavity containing various items like Skittles, cereal, and Sad Keanu.

Origin

The Miami New Time Blog posted an article on 11/19/10 titled "Mugshots Friday: Dented Heads, Bandanna Tattoos and Weird Beards" that included a mugshot of Carlos Rodriguez, a man who had been arrested for attempting to solicit a prostitute. The profile shot showed the man's striking cranial cavity, and was posted to Reddit the same day.

The picture has been claimed to be authentic by the Miami New Times Blog, and they posted a follow up article containing a previous mugshot of the same man – Yes, That Flattened Head Mugshot is Real

Parodies

On 11/20 another Reddit thread titled "Skittles, anyone?" was voted to the front page with an edited photo of the man with the cavity filled with skittles, and spawned several other derivatives.