Aircraft Carrier Style takes off in China
TV image of crewmen pointing and directing jet sparks hilarious internet photo craze
An image from televised footage of China's first successful landings of a jet fighter aboard its only aircraft carrier has become a wildly popular internet meme since the video aired on Saturday.
In the picture, two crew members aboard the vessel Liaoning - wearing bright yellow vests and helmets with their backs to the camera - are seen crouching and using their outstretched right arms to point and direct a J-15 jet, while their left arms remain behind their backs.
The image has gone viral, with mainland internet users dubbing the crew members' pose "Aircraft Carrier Style", a reference to the Korean song.
Countless people have posted pictures of themselves online doing similar poses, sometimes with funny personal touches.
In one photo, three young children wearing red or green jackets, along with bicycle helmets, are seen attempting a similar pose together. Another shows a female university student doing the move while wearing a yellow shirt in her messy dorm room.
One food-delivery worker in a yellow uniform posed while apparently directing a colleague on a bicycle.
Another internet user created a series of cartoons showing Mickey Mouse, Spider-Man, the Ninja Turtles, the Smurfs and others posing in "Aircraft Carrier Style" - a term trending on Sina's microblog yesterday, with more than 8 million posts about it.
"A military theme mixed with grass-roots culture - this is our own style," one user wrote.
