The young woman who became an internet sensation as the face of the viral ‘bored nightclub’ meme has returned to the spotlight after seven years. Lucia Gorman, now 24, shot to fame in 2018 when a photo from her night out at Milk Club Edinburgh went viral. The iconic image, which depicts Lucia looking disinterested while a friend whispers into her ear, has been shared millions of times and is considered one of the most recognisable memes in digital history.
Now, Lucia has reprised her role in the meme world by recreating some of the internet’s favourite memes, including Harry Maguire’s ‘Put the Bins Out’ and the universally relatable ‘Confused Math Lady’. Samsung has recruited her to showcase its Best Face technology featured in the new Galaxy A56 5G. This innovative feature uses AI to rectify common photo blunders such as blinking eyes or awkward facial expressions in group shots.
In the recreated images, Lucia can be seen squinting, blinking, and sneezing, reflecting the brand’s findings that blinking (36%), awkward facial expressions when saying “cheese” (26%), and people obscuring each other (21%) are the most frequent group photo mishaps.
A study involving 2,000 smartphone users revealed that they spend an average of 468 minutes per year editing, filtering, and retouching images to achieve the perfect picture. Moreover, it was found that Gen Z typically takes around eight attempts to capture the perfect shot before they’re satisfied enough to share it on social media.
Common photo edits include removing unwanted background figures (24%) and eliminating red-eye or glare from glasses (23%). The most common instances of photo blunders are selfies (31%), group photos (29%), and theme park rides (17%).
A significant 38% of people admit to being irked when they’re the only one not looking their best in a photo. However, nearly half (47%) would still post a group photo if they looked good but a friend didn’t.
When it comes to group photos, 21% avoid taking them altogether, while a whopping 84% have chosen to delete a picture rather than share it on social media due to dissatisfaction with their appearance (38%) or poor image quality (21%).
Interestingly, almost half (47%) frequently crop friends out of their photos, with a quarter even admitting to cropping themselves out before posting.
The study also revealed that 32% have staged a candid photo for a more natural look with Gen Z leading the pack at 69%, followed by millennials (47%), Gen X (23%) and Boomers (22%).
Annika Bizon from Samsung commented: “We understand the desire to capture and share life’s best moments. However, our research revealed we spend nearly a month of our lives editing photos.
“We’re empowering users to get their best shot effortlessly, so they can spend less time editing and more time enjoying those special moments.”
