# Harimau Lucu Harimau Lucu, meaning "Cute Tiger" in Indonesian, is the nickname social media users gave to a grinning tiger statue outside a military base in Garut, West Java, after a March 2017 photo turned the sculpture into a national joke. Within three days, the Indonesian Army chiseled the statue off its plinth, and Twitter users posted mock funerals and threads of similarly awkward tiger sculptures at other army bases. ## Origin The sculpture went up in 2011 at the entrance to the Siliwangi Military Command base in the Cisewu area of Garut, West Java, where it stood for years with little notice[3]. On March 11, 2017, Twitter user Vincent Candra posted a photo of the statue with a caption asking what kind of tiger it was supposed to be, and Indonesian social media picked it up within hours[1]. Candra later told the BBC he had laughed when he first saw the tiger and did not expect the post to travel widely[1]. Division commander Maj. General Herindra said the statue was made "a long time ago in Cisewu district" by a local artist, adding that each unit decided on its own sculpture and that this one's artist "was not that good"[1]. - **Platform:** Twitter - **Creator:** Unknown (statue by an unnamed local artist; photo posted by Vincent Candra) - **Date:** 2017 ## Overview The statue depicted the fierce tiger mascot of the Indonesian Army's Siliwangi Military Command, but the sculptor gave it round eyes, a wide cartoon grin and a flat body that looked nothing like the division's official logo[1]. Online jokes zeroed in on the gap between the menacing mascot art and the cheerful roadside statue, with photoshops placing the tiger inside film posters and surreal scenes[1]. Alternate nicknames traveled alongside Harimau Lucu, including Harimau Humanis, meaning "Humanist Tiger"[3]. Posts about the statue often set its photo next to captions wondering why it looked so happy, and Indonesian comic artists started threads of other poorly sculpted tiger statues standing at army bases across the country[3]. ## How to Use Typical posts place a photo of the Cisewu statue next to a punchline about its grin, or edit the tiger into film posters, religious scenes and other surreal mashups, following the March 2017 photoshops documented by the BBC[1]. Comic artists often reply with other "ugly tiger" statue photos from Indonesian military bases[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Harimau Lucu? Harimau Lucu, meaning "Cute Tiger," is the nickname Indonesian social media users gave to a cartoon-like tiger statue that stood outside the Siliwangi Military Command base in Garut, West Java, until it was torn down in March 2017[1]. ### Where did Harimau Lucu come from? A local artist sculpted the statue around 2011 for the army base in Cisewu, and it went viral on March 11, 2017, after Twitter user Vincent Candra posted a photo of it[3][1]. ### What does Harimau Lucu mean? The nickname means "Cute Tiger" in Indonesian, and the statue also picked up the name Harimau Humanis, or "Humanist Tiger," because of its friendly expression[3]. ### How do you use Harimau Lucu? People edit the Cisewu tiger photo into film posters, religious scenes and surreal mashups, or post it alongside photos of similarly awkward tiger statues at other Indonesian army bases[1][3]. ### Is Harimau Lucu still popular? The joke peaked during the March 2017 news cycle around the statue's demolition, but Indonesians still reference the Cisewu tiger when awkward public sculptures surface online[2][4]. ## References 1. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39276106]() 2. [https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2017/03/16/comical-tiger-statue-at-military-base-torn-down-but-netizen-frenzy-remains-1489608236-1489608657-1489608710-1489608852-1489609365.html]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/harimau-lucu]() 4. [https://tirto.id/patung-maung-cisewu-dan-ironi-estetika-tangsi-ckLi]() 5. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodam_III/Siliwangi]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/harimau-lucu Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library