Laziness comes to visit
Artist and animator Mirby, Evgeny Rylskikh, released the video in June 2018. In the story, his drawn hero meets Lena, an independent character who personifies laziness. At first he does not want to help her, but then he lets her stay at his place. The ending ties this decision to the delay of a new video: the guest turns out to be a convenient embodiment of the habit of endlessly postponing things.
A short musical fragment quickly became material for animated parodies and text jokes. The name outlived the video itself: in November 2018 a Mirby notebook came out playing on the same formula. The inner scene with two characters thus acquired its own language, which can be used to describe one's own procrastination even if the listener does not remember the whole plot.
Green hair, purple hair, and one face of laziness
The picture shows two characters on a white background. On the left, Lena has green hair and purple clothing with the word «ЛЕНЬ» (Russian for “laziness”) on it; her eyes are closed, her mouth is open, and one hand is slightly raised. On the right, the hero with purple hair in green clothing tilts his head, and his eyes are drawn as spirals. The colors of the clothing and the hair seem to swap places, tying the figures into one pair.
Rough black lines, simple shapes and exaggerated facial expressions make emotions more important than detailed surroundings. The inscription on the clothing immediately explains Lena's role: she is not some random girl with a similar name. The second character's spiral eyes turn tired bewilderment into a clear cartoon sign. This frame has no calendar or list of tasks, yet the storyline allows linking the heroes' meeting to the later postponement of work.
Sounds that shift the boundaries of words
The basis of the pun is the close sound of the name Lena inside the farewell and the expression «по колено проблем» (roughly “knee-deep in problems”). Hearing easily rearranges the boundaries of familiar words, and the music cements this shift. On one side is an address to a character, on the other a familiar way of describing a multitude of difficulties. In the animation they literally meet: getting rid of the guest would mean getting rid of the obstacle.
But the hero himself keeps Lena close, so the joke does not end with a successful farewell. Laziness gets a body, a face and the ability to take part in the conversation: one can apparently negotiate with her, after which the start of the work is postponed again. This personification allows mocking a familiar inner contradiction: a person wants to finish the work while keeping a convenient reason not to begin it. The meme can be a self-ironic confession; the character's name serves as a short label for this second side of desire.
Three invented meetings with Lena
In a new storyline a student has already opened a document with a report, but Lena suggests first choosing the most beautiful font. Formally, preparation has begun, while the substantive work is again put off. Another variant shows a person with a suitcase: instead of packing, he makes a detailed playlist for the road, and the imaginary Lena approves of an activity that does not bring him any closer to leaving the house.
The third invented example concerns an artist who decides to clean his desk. He finds an old sketch and starts inventing a story for it, leaving the tidying for later. All three scenes preserve the hero's own choice: Lena does not arrive as an irresistible external force; she is allowed to stay. That is why the pair of characters suits a small conversation with oneself, in which a cheerful excuse has already won over the plan, even though no one has yet declared the work canceled.
