Macaulay Culkin's Halloween Costume Sparks Debate Over Soldier Meme
Updated 17:27 1 Nov 2026 GMTPublished 16:48 1 Nov 2026 GMT
Some users spotted exactly what meme the actor was meant to have recreated with the selfie
Actor Macaulay Culkin has faced backlash on social media over a Halloween selfie he posted with some deeming it 'inappropriate'.
Users hit out after he shared a selfie online showing him with dark coloured face paint while he posed straight-faced for the camera.
The Home Alone star seemed to actually be dressed as a popular internet reaction image, showing a blank-looking soldier which is used to convey extreme mental exhaustion or distress by mundane, everyday situations.
The photo sparked some backlash on the likes of X and Reddit, where the post was said to have been in poor taste and potentially offensive.
Advert
However other users online noticed exactly what he was trying to harmlessly recreate, which was actually the 'thousand-yard stare' soldier meme.
The stark look attracted criticism online, with some users on the likes of X and Reddit claiming the paint resembled blackface and was poorly-timed due to current ongoing world conflict.
Others rushed to defend him for the fancy dress costume, reiterating it was quite clearly a military green-coloured face paint he had used in order to emulate the grubby face of a soldier and should not be taken seriously.
Culkin is yet to publicly address the response (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
"It’s not a blackface," one user responded on X. "But it’s kinda inappropriate and clueless considering how many war conflicts happening in the world today.”
"I get what you were trying to do but this is by far the worst way to execute it," penned another.
However others hit back in a Reddit r/popculturechat community and on X, making the clear comparison to the meme, which is based on a 1940s painting.
The 'thousand-yard stare' meme (Thomas Lea.)
It was only later that the image was internet-repurposed as visual shorthand for intense burnout.
One user wrote: "It's obviously green/olive paint that they use as camouflage."
As another added: "Macaulay Culkin nailing the thousand-yard stare soldier meme is a top tier Halloween costume" followed by: "It's sad ppl think this is anything other than the thousand yard stare."
And, an AI-correction on X clarified the image, responding: "The image shows Macaulay Culkin with green face paint recreating the thousand-yard stare meme from a 1944 Tom Lea painting of a grimy WWII US Marine, not blackface."
LADbible has contacted Macaulay Culkin's representatives for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Topics: Macaulay Culkin, TV and Film, Halloween, Celebrity
