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Director James L. Brooks said the pose is a ‘metaphor’
Carsen Holadayin New YorkThursday 11 December 2025 21:59 GMTComments
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Barbie audiences decked themselves in pink. Minecraft fans threw popcorn at the screen during the “chicken jockey” scene. Now, James L. Brooks’s new comedy-drama Ella McCay gives theatergoers the unique opportunity to... touch their shoe in front of its poster?
As the Ella McCay Challenge sweeps the nation — or maybe just niche corners of social media — you might find yourself with questions about the origin of the mysterious trend, or even experiencing a curious and undeniable urge to attempt the bewildering pose yourself. Here’s everything we know about the viral challenge.
The “challenge” was born by X user Michael Roberts the night before Thanksgiving. Roberts told Vulture that while he was in the movie theater, he saw the poster showing the film’s titular character balancing on one foot to fix her left shoe as she wears it, and simply “felt the need” to take a picture recreating the pose in front of the display.
“There’s just an inexplicable tone to the whole thing,” Roberts told the outlet. “I don’t know how you craft a poster for a movie about a 34-year-old governor with family issues. But I love the decision to have a big studio comedy being sold on the image of an unknown woman fixing her shoe.”
Ella McCay star Emma Mackey, whose name is confusingly similar but unrelated to her fictional titular character, plays a woman in 2008 who is juggling challenging family dynamics as she prepares to become a state governor. The movie’s poster shows the main character in a beige peacoat, not looking at the camera, lifting her left leg and reaching for her navy heel.
open image in galleryElla McCay will be released in theaters December 12 (Getty Images for 20th Century Studios)No specific clothing is needed to complete the challenge, but if you are going for accuracy, you might want to throw a pair of heels in your bag before undergoing the transformative act that is the Ella McCay Challenge.
The first step is to go to a movie theater where Ella McCay is playing. Bringing someone to take your picture is helpful; otherwise you must use self-timer (which is embarrassing) or ask a stranger at the theater to take a picture of you balancing on one foot (even more embarrassing). You may need to buy a movie ticket to get into the theater lobby, where the promotional displays are usually located. (If a political comedy does not sound appetizing, other releases out right now include Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2, and Eternity.)
Next, stand in front of the movie poster with your feet shoulder length apart. Then lift your left leg to cross in front of your right leg and bend over it. Then, leave your left arm dangling in the air and use your right arm to reach toward your shoe. Finally, do not look at the camera, instead look down at the shoe you are pretending to fix. Then snap your picture, and you have your Ella McCay Challenge post.
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open image in galleryCarsen Holaday taking on the #EllaMcCayChallenge in perfect form (Carsen Holaday)Creative variations are floating around on the internet, as swarms of X users have joined in on the trend since Roberts’ first post. Some people look straight at the camera, while others have dared to switch the foot they use.
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Brands have also begun hopping on the trend. The Simpsons, which Brooks co-created, posted a video of animated characters reenacting the post. 20th Century Studios, the studio behind Ella McCay, is posting scores for the poses on their X account. The social media manager behind the account is even sharing tips to people attempting the challenge, replying to one, “thank you for putting in the effort! wish the heel was a bit higher! rating this a 7.3 out of 10.”
The studio’s response to Roberts, the challenge’s creator, said: “rating this #ellamccaychallenge a 9.5 out of 10. decent height and left arm placement, all done in slip-ons no less.”
Even more moviegoers will likely be taking up the challenge over the weekend, with the movie officially out in theaters Friday.
The film’s star-studded cast includes performers like Jamie Lee Curtis, Ayo Edebiri, Rebecca Hall, Kumail Nanjiani, and Woody Harrelson, but the impressive lineup has not been enough to save the movie from negative reviews ahead of its release. Ella McCay is currently scoring 24% on Rotten Tomatoes’s Tomatometer, and the New York Times’ film critic Alissa Wilkinson said the movie leaves viewers “more confused than amused.”
Perhaps even more confusing is the fact that early reviews of the movie reveal Ella never once fixes her shoes in the movie like its shown in the poster.
However, Brooks semi-explained the poster in response to a question on Reddit last week: “SHE'S GOING SOMEPLACE AND A BAD SHOE IS GETTING IN THE WAY...GUESS IT'S A METAPHOR.”
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