The Cuphead Flower meme, also known as Floral Fury or Cagney Carnation, features an image macro of a cartoon flower from the video game "Cuphead." This template showcases two frames to highlight stark contrasting reactions. In the first frame, the flower displays an innocent, peaceful smile. The second frame depicts the same flower with an angry expression, tongue out, screaming and appearing maniacal. It's commonly used to portray contradictory behaviors or hypocritical reactions, especially when someone reacts angrily to an action but displays innocence when doing the same thing.
The meme derives from the 2017 run-and-gun video game "Cuphead," specifically from a level titled "Floral Fury." During this boss fight, the player encounters Cagney Carnation, a large, sentient flower that initially charms with its harmless appearance. The flower is smiling calmly one moment and then shifts to a furious, screaming demeanor, perfectly capturing the dual expressions used in the meme. This transformation within the game is echoed in the meme's format, exemplifying unexpected reactions. The boss fight can be seen in action here.[1]
Origin: 2017