I've always disliked having my photo taken.
For the same reasons as many others who dislike being photographed: first, I'm not photogenic; second, I don't know how to pose.
As soon as I face a camera, I instantly devolve from a modern-day Walmart plastic bag into a Stone Age ordinary upright ape—still refreshing as an NPC, still triggering base code, still offering a thunderous smile, still making the desperate scissors hand, still giving the authoritative thumbs up.
Even Faker couldn't avoid this issue. In nine out of ten photos, he's giving a thumbs up. Even if he's like a god of war on the battlefield, he turns into an NPC when posing for photos.
But around 2017, a one-handed heart gesture for photos, starting from the entertainment industry, swept across the entire Chinese internet. The motion is simple: just cross your thumb and index finger to create a cute little heart.
Moreover, compared to the traditional two-handed heart gesture, the one-handed version is more casual and quick. The smaller movement is also more friendly to those with social anxiety. After all, making a heart with both hands requires spreading your arms wide, which feels psychologically exaggerated and exposing; at least, I feel embarrassed doing it.
In an environment where everyone does the "scissors hand and thumbs up," the "one-handed heart" was practically a dimensional strike, so it quickly became popular and has been used by numerous celebrities and netizens ever since.
Overwatch's iconic heart gesture close-up
Who would have thought that in 2026, the way to make a heart gesture has changed again—not with two hands, nor one hand, but with the big butt of the lower body.
That's right, another heart gesture has recently become popular on the international internet. It goes completely against the subtle approach of the "one-handed heart," being not only simpler and more direct but also wilder, more unrestrained, and more blood-pumping—in short, it's using a big butt to make a heart.
You might not be able to imagine how humans use this body part to "make a heart"... I can only say that I couldn't imagine it before either.
But the black heart shape that catches the eye is so perfect that one can't help but marvel at the ingenuity of life—
The left and right sides of the heart form a seamless symmetry, with the two arcs at the top full and soft, extending outward from the central indentation, the curves narrowing smoothly, and finally, with the help of the arms, converging at the bottom into a complete heart outline...
And this perfectly curved arc is formed by the two buttocks encased in a long black skirt.
Due to the eye-catching expressiveness of the heart-shaped butt, it quickly garnered massive attention from foreign netizens. Many seasoned observers looked at the picture and said that they and their little brothers couldn't help but show respect. Damn, it's too intense!
Besides just watching, many people tried to imitate the pose in the picture, using their arms and buttocks to recreate a perfect heart shape. Thus, the "Butt Heart Challenge," which swept the international internet, officially began, with countless foreigners shoving their backsides into everyone's social media feeds.
The pose for the Butt Heart Challenge isn't difficult to do. You just need to face away from the camera, bend over slightly into a squat, and wrap your arms around your thighs to complete the pointed protrusion at the bottom, thus completing a standard "butt heart." Many people perform the challenge in one smooth motion, instantly posting their results online.
But obviously, the "perfect heart shape" has extremely high hardware requirements. Whether it's the size of the buttocks, the thickness of the legs, or body flexibility, all affect the final presentation. However, not everyone possesses the physical fitness to match these requirements.
Some stretch their arms out as far as possible, trying to encircle their legs, but surging subcutaneous fat makes all efforts futile.
Some wear wine-red long dresses to showcase mature charm, but because the arc shape isn't round enough, they end up looking like an overripe purple onion, or an ET alien with an overly congested head, while attempting the butt heart challenge.
Thus, although many netizens initially flocked to the "Butt Heart Challenge," they ultimately had to declare failure due to these objective limitations.
But some took this as a lesson, beginning to endure hardships and train specifically to improve their physique, hoping to achieve the perfect butt heart someday.
Although working out is good, it takes too long to show results. Changing one's interior is far slower than decorating the exterior. Thus, those eager for quick results chose to play the item race.
If the heart shape is asymmetrical, no problem; a skirt with an ultra-high slit will do the trick;
If the indentation isn't deep enough, no worries; just switch to high-transparency black stockings;
If you want good reflective effects, black leather pants are a must;
Or perhaps, following the principle that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, one wears as little as possible.
At this point, whether the challenger's butt shape passes the test is no longer important. Everyone's attention is focused on outfits that match their fetishes and the large areas of exposed skin.
The trend of the "Butt Heart Challenge" wasn't limited to reality; it also blew into the world of 2D characters. In the anime world, where there are no objective physical limitations and creative ideas can be controlled "for the sake of aesthetics," the fetishes of countless horny artists were unleashed to the extreme through the "Butt Heart Challenge." Whatever kind of heart shape they wanted, they could just draw it themselves.
Want to make more hearts with this pose?
Furries say it's no problem at all; they can just use their tails to make another one.
Who says Nintendo, suitable for all ages, can't be inappropriate for children?
Princess Rosalina's back view is enough to make Mario lick his lips, and even the strongest legal department in the Eastern Hemisphere would be forced into a moment of post-nut clarity upon seeing it.
Reading this, we might not need to enter a state of post-nut clarity to understand why the "Butt Heart Challenge" became so popular.
It's vulgar, exploiting the primal desires engraved in human DNA, shamelessly using secondary sexual characteristics to create a visual spectacle.
It's naked enough, separated by only a layer of fabric, and in front of the 3D zone and Fuliji, there isn't even fabric. The harm to teenagers is immeasurable.
But on the other hand, it is also elegant.
The exquisite coordination between the gluteus maximus and the biceps femoris achieves a perfect curve. This is nature's uncanny workmanship, as well as human performance art, reminding people involuntarily of the golden rectangle, Fibonacci sequence, and Vitruvian Man found in museum珍藏 manuscripts.
According to unofficial history, it was after seeing this photo that Johnny Joestar understood how to execute the perfect Golden Spin.
It's a butt thrust toward the camera, but it's not just a butt thrust toward the camera. Beneath the heart-shaped curve lies the miraculous channel of life's creation, as well as an endless abyss projecting desire.
This pose says nothing, yet it says Everythinggj. After seeing it, viewers can't help but feel a surge of desire, while also pondering the meaning of their own existence.
In the Butt Heart Challenge, the "vulgar" and the "elegant" share the same shape, simultaneously connecting the instincts of the lower body with the aesthetics of the upper body. So in front of it, you can cover your face and walk away out of shame, stand and appreciate it openly, or even boldly join in.
What I mean is, you can criticize it or enjoy it entirely according to your own thoughts. Because no matter what you think, you're right. It is what it is. You can also choose not to take it seriously. As long as you don't treat it as a problem, it isn't one.
Perhaps the only problem it might cause is that you'll never be able to look at this "heart" emoji the same way again.
