The Enigmatic "U R MR GAY" Phenomenon within Super Mario Galaxy
The Peculiar "U R MR GAY" Phrase
- Meme
- Condition
- Verified
- Year of Inception
- 2007
- Genesis
- NeoGAF
- Geographical Area
- Japan
- Classifications
- mario, homosexual, video entertainment, super mario galaxy, expand dong
- Supplementary Information Sources
- Urban Dictionary
Regarding the Subject
"U R MR GAY" pertains to an inadvertent graphical anomaly observed within the title of the game Super Mario Galaxy. Specifically, certain characters presented in the game's title are highlighted with a sparkling effect. When these characters are observed in sequential order, they spell out U, R, M, R, G, A, and Y. If one interprets "U" and "R" as shorthand for "you" and "are" respectively, and if the letters are segmented into their intended words, a concealed statement emerges, conveying to the observer, "You are Mr. Gay." This peculiar observation has since transformed into a frequently cited jest on the internet, persisting for many years following its initial discovery in 2007.
Genesis of the Phenomenon
Users on the NeoGAF platform first became aware of the "U R MR GAY" message through a discussion thread dedicated to the finest "box art of the year" in video games. The discourse concerning this particular game's title was subsequently continued within its own specialized thread, aptly titled "Super Mario Galaxy boxart says you're gay," on the 18th of September, 2007.
Dissemination and Propagation
Less than a full day after the NeoGAF community engaged in discussions about the lettering, Destructoid published a comprehensive article detailing the matter. Joystiq and Kotaku followed suit, reporting on the conversation a few days thereafter. Individuals also deliberated on the significance of this lettering across various other online platforms, including the PlayStation Universe forums.
Within the forums of Club RSX and Newgrounds, the mention of "U R MR GAY" prompted users to intentionally omit letters from other video game titles, thereby crafting humorous messages analogous to the one originating from Super Mario Galaxy.
A Question Posed: "YA I M R U?"
Although the visual styling of the lettering within Super Mario Galaxy 2's title mirrored that of the initial installment, as reported by Kotaku, it seemed that no further unintended messages could be discerned. Nevertheless, as highlighted by Destructoid and The Escapist, some individuals observed that by reversing the order of the letters, another discernible message emerged, appearing as Y, A, I, M, R, and U (which can be interpreted as "Yeah, I am, are you?").