The #EllaMcCayChallenge Is Overshadowing Ella McCay

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The Ella McCay challenge has a specific set of poses. You need to lift your left leg over your right one, while simultaneously using your right hand to pretend to tie your left shoe. Keep your left arm raised and look down at your left shoe, as if you’ve just put it on or are effortlessly putting it on. The most important rule? Don’t look at the camera! Ella McCay never looks at the camera in her photos, and to complete the challenge, neither should you. If you manage all of that, you’ve nailed the Ella McCay challenge. But who is Ella McCay?

James L. Brooks’s new film, releasing December 12th, stars Emma Mackey as Ella McCay, a fictional character who’s already captured the public’s imagination – much like other memorable film protagonists. Based on the trailers, Ella seems like a woman juggling a lot – a chaotic family and a run for governor, to be exact! The movie plays with the idea that piling on more complications – like a quirky aunt (Jamie Lee Curtis) and an unusual brother (Spike Fearn), along with Kumail Nanjiani – will create a richer story. Interestingly, all the promotional posters show Ella putting on her shoe, even though this simple act doesn’t actually happen in the film – she manages to put her shoes on just fine!

The “Ella McCay” trend started when a Twitter user named Michael Roberts noticed a strange and captivating movie poster. He was both intrigued and confused by it, saying he’d seen the poster attached to every movie trailer recently. He found it odd, yet appreciated the choice to promote a big comedy with an image of an unknown woman simply fixing her shoe. After seeing the movie Sentimental Value the night before Thanksgiving, Roberts felt compelled to take a photo with the Ella McCay poster.

The online trend inspired by the movie Ella McCay—specifically, a moment involving a problematic shoe—has even caught the attention of the film’s creator, Brooks. He addressed it during a Reddit Q&A, playfully suggesting the shoe represents a larger obstacle in Ella’s journey. While fans are curious about the shoe itself—some even jokingly demand a deleted scene showing it (#ReleaseTheShoeCut)—it seems to be a recurring symbol of Ella’s struggles and her determination to persevere despite them. The meme isn’t meant to make fun of the movie, but to appreciate its unique and quirky creativity. According to creator Roberts, it’s a celebration of going to the theater and enjoying original stories, a sentiment echoed by the film’s distributor, Fox Searchlight, who joined in the online fun. Ultimately, the best way to support Ella McCay is by seeing the movie, and Roberts plans to be there opening weekend.

I’m pretty sure we’ll see Ayo Edebiri, a star of the film Ella McCay, participate in the #EllaMcCayChallenge before the year ends. It’s a fun way to support a movie that could really use some positive attention right now. Unlike some films with elaborate pre-screening rituals, Ella McCay’s challenge is simple: pose with your leg lifted in front of a cardboard cutout. According to creator Roberts, the correct leg to lift is your left one, and looking at your shoe is key, but otherwise, creativity is encouraged. And it’s working – people on Twitter, even Lisa Simpson and some animatronics, are joining in! Ultimately, whether or not the pose perfectly matches a scene in the movie doesn’t matter. The #EllaMcCayChallenge is all about the fun and the pose itself.

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2025-12-10 20:54