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The Kylo Ren Challenge: New 'Star Wars' meme is sweeping social media, John Mayer included

We’ve just wrapped a 2017 full of absurd and outrageous movie memes, and yet as the New Year dawned, the internet saw fit to gift us all with one more wacko viral goof-off — this time, involving everyone’s favorite petulant Sith lord. We’re speaking, of course, about Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, who once again is front and center in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, replete with a topless scene that has polarized both die-hard fans and general audiences. It’s that moment — shared, via telepathic Force Skype, with Daisy Ridley’s Rey — that’s at the center of the Kylo Ren Challenge, which has led fans to lose their shirts and pull their black pants way up high in order to emulate the intergalactic villain. Most surprising of all is that the phenomenon was started not by a random Star Wars aficionado, but by a famous musician.

Adam Driver, with his shirt on, as Kylo Ren in <i>Star Wars: The Last Jedi</i>. (Photo: Lucasfilm)
Adam Driver, with his shirt on, as Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. (Photo: Lucasfilm)

If you’re looking for someone to blame for the plethora of naked-torso images flooding your social media feed, look no further than John Mayer, who on Sunday posted the following Instagram photo with the now-ubiquitous hashtag #kylorenchallenge.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdWcr_vHtVF/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Instagram/@johnmayer;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Instagram/@johnmayer</a>

Mayer’s spot-on mockery of Ren’s awkwardly sexy getup immediately took social media by storm, with numerous like-minded gents from across the world doing their best imitation of the brooding baddie:

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdWdWz_hPzc/?tagged=kylorenchallenge" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Instagram/@firstdisorderspam;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Instagram/@firstdisorderspam</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdcszFsnUq4/?tagged=kylorenchallenge" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Instagram/@jfdicaire;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Instagram/@jfdicaire</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdcrXWohw7D/?tagged=kylorenchallenge" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Instagram/@gelixmatvey;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Instagram/@gelixmatvey</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdcoKtpnjFP/?tagged=kylorenchallenge" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Instagram/@pink_aloe;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Instagram/@pink_aloe</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdcqMEvF1sG/?tagged=kylorenchallenge" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Instagram/@edukbrown;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Instagram/@edukbrown</a>

In fact, the Kylo Ren Challenge became so popular that even Santa — freshly rested from his Christmas duties — got in on the action:

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdckkXfnD_6/?tagged=kylorenchallenge" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Instagram/@mrdrayman67;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Instagram/@mrdrayman67</a>

Driver himself has yet to chime in on the burgeoning meme. But here’s hoping we’re all blessed with more bonkers internet buffoonery like this in 2018.

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