buddy christ
A parody religious icon created by filmmaker Kevin Smith, which first appeared in Smith's 1999 film Dogma.
In the film, Buddy is part of a campaign ("Catholicism Wow!") to renew the image of (and interest in) the Catholic Church. Viewing the crucifix image as "wholly depressing", the Church, led by Cardinal Glick (George Carlin), decides to retire it, and creates Buddy Christ as a more uplifting image of Jesus Christ. The icon consists of a statue of Jesus, smiling and winking while pointing at onlookers with one hand and giving the thumbs up sign with the other hand. Buddy Christ was later produced as an action figure and a bobblehead. The image has since been turned into a popular Internet meme.
