Voting Station

Chewbacca Mask Lady (Candace Payne)

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Internet Personality

The Resume

    Also known online as 'The Chewbacca Mom'
    37-year-old Texas resident and mother
    Filmed herself unboxing and donning an electronic Chewbacca mask she had recently bought and laughing hysterically while in her car
    Four-minute video was streamed on Facebook Live with a description reading: 'It's the simple joys in life....' (May 19, 2016)
    Video went viral, receiving 165 million views on Facebook and 8.8 million views on YouTube (as of January 2017)
    Later made guest appearances on The Late Late Show with James Corden, 'The Star Wars Show,' and Good Morning America,
    Invited to visit the Facebook headquarters in California, by Mark Zuckerberg; Presented with $2,500 in gift cards, Star Wars toys and 10,000 reward points by Kohl's

Why she might be annoying:

    She was showered with gifts and financial rewards for uploading a video of her laughing hysterically in a Star Wars mask for less than five minutes.
    Depending on your mood and perspective, her video either comes off as jovial or extremely creepy.
    'I am such a happy Chewbacca! That's not me making that noise, it's the mask!' (no kidding!)
    She claimed to have bought the mask only after the fact, having only gone to Kohl's for some Yoga pants she ended up not buying.
    Her kids may or may not have been mortified at the prospect of their mom posting such a thing on social media for everyone to see (although the money and gifts that came afterward probably helped them to get over the initial embarrassment).
    Confusion ensured after a Detroit woman named Katie Curtis donned the mask while giving birth, with the screams from labor pains replaced with a wailing growl. Many were misled to believe that it was Payne giving birth while wearing the mask.

Why she might not be annoying:

    She is a devout Christian who is very active with her local church.
    In less than 48 hours from the video's posting, the Chewbacca mask sold out from every major online retailer.
    Her video is the most viewed Facebook Live video, as of January of 2017.
    Her video is a rarity among the 'viral phenomena' of social media: devoid of cynicism, instead evoking pure, genuine from-the-heart laughter.
    She was gifted with $7,500 for a Memorial Day weekend visit to Disney's MGM Studios, as well as $2,000 to attend the Fan Dallas Expo with Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew.
    She was invited to Hasboro with her family, where she was presented with a 'Chewbacca Mom' action figure, with 13 pre-recorded of her catchphrases and 'Wookie' noises.
    She told Good Morning America that her favorite comment she received was from a parent with a child with autism. According to the note, her daughter hadn't laughed for two months until seeing the video.
    She said 'I think the world as a whole, is in need of a good laugh. I think we’re in need of somebody to lift our spirits, to not take ourselves too seriously and to break some cynicism worldwide.'
    She posted a video on Facebook to memorialize the victims of the 2016 Dallas police officer shooting near her home, doing a cover of Michael Jackson's 'Heal the World' (Jul. 9, 2016).

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 19 Votes: 31.58% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 28 Votes: 46.43% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 21 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 100 Votes: 46.00% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 20 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 63 Votes: 71.43% Annoying