# Overly Attached Girlfriend > Overly Attached Girlfriend is a 2012 image-macro meme featuring YouTuber Laina Morris's wide-eyed, fixed-smile webcam screenshot portraying an obsessive, clingy girlfriend. Overly Attached Girlfriend (OAG) is an advice animal image macro featuring a webcam screenshot of YouTuber Laina Morris staring wide-eyed into the camera with a fixed smile. Born from a Justin Bieber fan contest parody video uploaded on June 6, 2012, the meme became one of the defining image macros of the early 2010s, spawning hundreds of thousands of variations portraying an obsessive, clingy girlfriend[5]. Morris built a YouTube career with over 1.25 million subscribers before retiring from the platform in 2019, and sold the original meme image as an NFT for $411,000 in 2021[10]. ## Origin On June 6, 2012, a 20-year-old University of North Texas student named Laina Morris uploaded a webcam video titled "JB Fanvideo" to her YouTube channel (username wzr0713)[1]. The video was a submission for Justin Bieber's online sing-off contest promoting his celebrity fragrance "Girlfriend," which asked fans to create a "Girlfriend" counterpart to his hit single "Boyfriend"[11]. Morris wasn't a huge Bieber fan. She was more interested in his origin story of being discovered on YouTube than his actual music[7]. She'd taken a semester off from her education major to figure out her direction in life when she remembered the contest deadline approaching. She changed out of her work uniform into a crumpled green T-shirt from her bedroom floor, sat in front of her webcam, and started recording[7]. To fill time before the song started, she decided to make it weird by staring into the camera and widening her eyes as much as she could[7]. Then she launched into her rewritten lyrics: "I'll always be checking up on you. Hey boy, who you talking to? If I was your girlfriend, I'd never let you leave, without a small recording device taped under your sleeve"[1]. The parody nailed the clingy-girlfriend archetype so perfectly that YouTube commenter STINGNL called it "the modern Every Breath You Take"[1]. The video found its way to Reddit, a site Morris had never heard of[7]. Within twelve hours of being linked, "JB Fanvideo" hit the front page[1]. The next day, June 7, Reddit user yeahhtoast submitted a link to the video in a thread titled "Overly Attached Girlfriend" and created the first image macro on Quickmeme with the caption: "I sewed my name on all your shirts, in case you forgot you're taken"[8]. That single image racked up more than 300,000 views and inspired over 175 other macros within five hours[1]. - **Platform:** YouTube - **Creator:** Laina Morris (video creator / meme subject), Reddit user yeahhtoast (first image macro) - **Date:** 2012-06-07 ## Overview The Overly Attached Girlfriend meme uses a screenshot from Morris's YouTube video as the base image for an advice animal format. The photo shows her staring directly into the camera with unnervingly wide eyes and a tight-lipped smile, creating the impression of someone who's a little too invested in the relationship[4]. Captions follow the standard image macro formula: white Impact font text on the top and bottom of the image, with jokes about possessive, stalkerish, or absurdly clingy girlfriend behavior. Classic examples include lines like "It took you 15 minutes to get home. Google Maps said it takes 12. Who is she?" and "Your bedroom looks different through binoculars"[7]. ## How It Spread The meme exploded across platforms in its first 48 hours. The original video pulled in 1.35 million views in under two days[4]. Gawker, BuzzFeed, Jezebel, The Daily What, and The Daily Dot all covered it within the first week[4]. A parody Twitter account (@attachedGF) launched the same day the meme was named, and a single-topic Tumblr blog followed the next day[4]. On June 14, 2012, Morris's real identity began circulating when a Hockey's Future Forum member posted a link to what was believed to be her Facebook profile[4]. Two days later, Morris acknowledged her viral fame by updating her YouTube description with links to new Twitter and Facebook accounts. Within three days she had over 7,800 Twitter followers and 16,500 Facebook likes[4]. She later denied that "Walker" (a name some outlets used) was her actual last name. The Daily Dot identified her as Laina Morris in October 2012 after she began creating charity videos[4]. On June 18, Morris uploaded "CRJ Fanvideo," a parody of Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" with similarly obsessive lyrics[5]. The Reddit post for the video pulled over 20,300 upvotes within 24 hours and the YouTube video hit 1.8 million views[4]. The meme also produced a gender-swapped spinoff. Attempts at an "Overly Attached Boyfriend" started the same day as the original meme, but none gained traction until July 6, 2012, when 17-year-old Patrick Gill posted his photo to Reddit's r/pics with the title "My friends keep reminding me I look like a certain someone"[2]. The post went massive with 26,222 upvotes, fueled by Gill's uncanny resemblance to Morris. One top comment featured a photoshopped "couple shot" of the two[4]. "I certainly expected the compliments and criticism once I found out it was a trending picture, but it was hard to actually take in all at once," Gill told the Daily Dot[2]. By September 2012, the format had already evolved. Redditor Vinnyb90 introduced "Misunderstood Girlfriend," using the same photo of Morris but reframing her behavior innocently: "Left 30 minute voicemail / butt dialed"[4]. The spinoff hit Reddit's front page multiple times and got picked up by Mashable, which noted that Reddit was trying to "clear the reputation of Overly Attached Girlfriend"[12]. ## How to Use The format follows standard advice animal conventions: base image with top and bottom text describing something an obsessively clingy partner would say or do. 1. Find the Overly Attached Girlfriend template (Laina Morris's wide-eyed stare) on a meme generator 2. Write a top line that sets up a seemingly normal relationship situation 3. Write a bottom line that reveals a wildly possessive or stalkerish twist 4. The format also works beyond romantic relationships — use it to mock any kind of over-attachment to friends, brands, pets, or abstract concepts ## Cultural Impact The meme drew criticism from some corners of Reddit for reinforcing sexist stereotypes about women being clingy in relationships[8]. Critics pointed out that the "Overly Attached Boyfriend" spinoff never gained comparable traction because it didn't tap into the same gendered assumption[8]. Morris's trajectory from accidental meme star to YouTuber to burnout became a frequently cited case study in the human cost of viral fame. Her 2019 retirement video, in which she discussed depression and anxiety, sparked broader conversations about the mental health toll of being a public meme figure[7]. The 2021 NFT sale for 200 ETH (roughly $411,000) placed Overly Attached Girlfriend among the highest-value meme NFT sales of the era[10]. It demonstrated that even memes well past their peak could hold significant value as digital collectibles. Delta Air Lines included the meme in a 2015 safety video alongside other internet-famous figures, marking one of the more unusual instances of a meme making it into airline compliance content[5]. ## Fun Facts - Morris chose to stare into the camera at the start of the video simply to fill time before the music kicked in. That improvised nine seconds of dead-eyed staring became the most iconic frame of the meme[7]. - The Reddit user who created the very first OAG image macro (yeahhtoast) admitted years later that he felt "somewhat slighted" for never being credited, but said he couldn't be mad at the internet for running with his idea[7]. - Morris was studying education at the University of North Texas when the video went viral. She'd taken the semester off because she was doubting her career path[7]. - Despite playing an obsessive romantic onscreen, Morris confirmed in a January 2015 fan mail episode that she was in an actual relationship[5]. - The original JB Fanvideo now has over 21 million views on YouTube[9]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Overly Attached Girlfriend? Overly Attached Girlfriend is an advice animal image macro featuring a screenshot of YouTuber Laina Morris staring wide-eyed at her webcam. Captions portray her as an obsessively clingy girlfriend[4]. ### Where did Overly Attached Girlfriend come from? It came from a YouTube video Morris uploaded on June 6, 2012, as an entry for Justin Bieber's "Girlfriend" fragrance contest. Reddit user yeahhtoast created the first image macro the next day[8]. ### What does Overly Attached Girlfriend mean? The meme is used to joke about possessive, controlling, or stalkerish behavior in relationships. It exaggerates the "clingy girlfriend" stereotype for comedic effect[6]. ### How do you use Overly Attached Girlfriend? Place Morris's wide-eyed photo as the background, add white Impact font text with a top line setting up a relationship scenario and a bottom line revealing an obsessive twist[3]. ### Is Overly Attached Girlfriend still popular? The meme peaked in 2012-2013 and saw a steep decline afterward[9]. It saw renewed attention in 2021 when Morris sold the original image as an NFT for $411,000[10]. ### Who is the Overly Attached Girlfriend in real life? Laina Morris, born June 22, 1991, from Denton, Texas. She was a 20-year-old University of North Texas student when the video went viral[7]. ### What happened to Laina Morris? Morris built a YouTube career with over 1.25 million subscribers but retired from the platform on July 25, 2019, citing depression and anxiety[5]. ### How much did the Overly Attached Girlfriend NFT sell for? The original meme image sold for 200 ETH, approximately $411,000, on Foundation.app in April 2021[10]. ### Who created the first Overly Attached Girlfriend meme? Reddit user yeahhtoast took a screenshot from Morris's video and captioned it "I sewed my name on all your shirts, in case you forgot you're taken" on June 7, 2012[8]. ### What was the Justin Bieber contest that started the meme? Bieber challenged fans to create "Girlfriend" versions of his hit single "Boyfriend" to promote his new fragrance. Winners would appear on his NBC special[11]. ### What is Overly Attached Boyfriend? A spinoff meme featuring 17-year-old Patrick Gill, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Laina Morris. His Reddit post on July 6, 2012, earned over 26,000 upvotes[2]. ### What is Misunderstood Girlfriend? A September 2012 spinoff that used the same Morris photo but reframed her behavior innocently, like "Left 30 minute voicemail / butt dialed"[12]. ### Did Overly Attached Girlfriend appear on TV? Yes. Morris appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on March 11, 2013, competed in a staring contest with Jessica Alba, and featured in YouTube Rewind 2013[5]. ### Was the Overly Attached Girlfriend meme considered sexist? Some Reddit users criticized the meme for reinforcing stereotypes about women being clingy. The Overly Attached Boyfriend version never reached similar popularity, which critics saw as evidence of gendered double standards[8]. ## References 1. [Bieber girlfriend contest spawns Overly Attached Girlfriend meme]() 2. [Overly Attached Boyfriend speaks!]() 3. [Alan Spicer - YouTube Certified Expert - meme culture]() 4. [Overly Attached Girlfriend - Know Your Meme]() 5. [Overly Attached Girlfriend]() 6. [Overly Attached Girlfriend - Urban Dictionary]() 7. [Overly Attached Girlfriend | Meme Reference]() 8. [Overly Attached Girlfriend | Memes | Dictionary.com]() 9. [Overly Attached Girlfriend – Meaning, Origin, Usage]() 10. [Original 'Overly Attached Girlfriend' Meme Sells As NFT For $400,000 / 200 ETH - BroBible]() 11. ["Overly Attached Girlfriend" Is The Girlfriend Meme You've Been Waiting For]() 12. [Justin Bieber's GIRLFRIEND]() 13. [Help This Girl Win Justin Bieber's 'Girlfriend Sing-Off' Contest or You'll Be Sorry]() 14. [Lights Out - The Daily What - Daily Dose of WHAT?]() 15. [Justin Bieber competition: 'Overly Attached Girlfriend's' cover version spawns hundreds of internet memes | Daily Mail Online]() 16. [Pleated Jeans — misunderstood girlfriend]() 17. [Home]() 18. [Patrick Gill, 'Overly Attached Boyfriend,' Looks Exactly Like 'Overly Attached Girlfriend' | HuffPost Teen]() 19. [Overly Attached Girlfriend Evolves Into Misunderstood Girlfriend | Mashable]() 20. [Bieber girlfriend contest spawns Overly Attached Girlfriend meme]() 21. [Overly Attached Boyfriend speaks!]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/overly-attached-girlfriend Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library