They

They
Name	They Them
First appearance	Lowlife (music video)
Latest appearance	I Disagree (music video)
Related characters	Titanic Sinclair Poppy Devil

They, also known as Them, refers to a group of mysterious organization of recurring characters mentioned in Poppy's videos and other related media.

Biography

They are known in the Poppy universe as the forces controlling Poppy, first mentioned by name in "They Have Taken Control". Their intentions are implied to be devious, hinted by Poppy to be controlling her artistry. They are responsible for Poppy's management and what she is allowed to say and not allowed to say on the internet. They are capable of punishing Poppy and rewarding her depending on her actions. They are speculated to be cult leaders.

On Twitter, Poppy claimed that They were going to let her announce her album, Poppy.Computer, and its accompanying tour. On other occasions, Poppy has claimed that They would not allow her to do certain things. This is evidenced when Poppy confesses to a black skull that she "used to be more honest, but now They won't let her" in the video "I'm Not Lying to You". It is undetermined how many of Them there are.

When asked who They are in an interview with Circa, Poppy responded by saying "It's Them. They are right behind you," meaning that They are present behind the camera for every single Poppy video. Based on this, the first appearance of Them is in the music video for "'Lowlife". In the music video for "I Disagree", six members of Them are seen in a boardroom with Poppy and The Icky Babies, being portrayed as unenthusiastic record executives. Poppy revolts against their authority, pouring gasoline on them and lighting them on fire with a match.

In an interview with BUILD Series, interviewer Kevan Kenney presented Poppy with various "suspects" that the BUILD detectives believed could be members of Them: Guy Fieri, the Jonas Brothers, Dwayne Johnson, and the cast of the TV show Friends. While Poppy denied Guy Fieri and Dwayne Johnson were members of Them, she said that the Jonas Brothers were "maybe a little bit warmer". However, when presented with the cast of Friends, Poppy remained silent and only smiled, possibly hinting at one of them having a relation to Them.

While the concept of Them has been largely phased out of Poppy media, she stated in a 2023 interview with Zach Sang that "they're still around", but there is a "different Them" and "the powers have changed hands".

Notable Mentions

"Why Wont They Listen?" - Poppy is dismayed because They won't listen. She repeats variants of the phrase "Why won't they listen?" for approximately 10 minutes.

"They Have Taken Control" - Poppy listens as a female voice from Them takes control over her with Programming Sequence Two.

"Japan" - Poppy wants to get away from Them and escape to Japan, but They won't let her.

"I Have Poppy's New Song" - As Charlotte "leaks" a snippet of Poppy's song "I'm Poppy", Poppy can be heard off-screen asking why Charlotte is doing this, as They told her she couldn't release the song yet.

"I Got in Trouble Today" - Poppy announces that she got in trouble and she doesn't know why. She also states that They didn't want her to announce that she got in trouble.

"We're Red Together" - Poppy states that she is inside of a red light because They wanted her to sit in a red light.

"The Icky Babies" - Poppy mentions that They told her it was "time to transition into a new era where light becomes dark and all becomes balanced", making this video a significant turning point in the Poppy canon.

Appearance

While mostly concealed, their appearance in the "Lowlife" music video depicts Them as Caucasian, middle-aged men. They sit close to Titanic Sinclair, and some of Them require breathing masks. At least three of Them are wheelchair-bound, while at least one of Them is able to stand. They wear dress attire similar to that of the Interviewer and appear to carry certain paper files with them. In the music video for "I Disagree", the members of Them are similar in appearance and dress; however, these members of Them are not shown to need wheelchairs. This video also shows a female member of Them for the first time.

They have also been portrayed as people dressed in hooded white or pink cloaks with their faces completely concealed, which is how they have appeared on the Poppy.Church website.

Poppy.Church

They's post in Poppy.Church.

On Poppy's website and interactive game Poppy.Church, They answer one question every 3:36 PST which has been voted on by users. Within the site, They and Them have been separated into two entities, each with their own unique avatar. They's avatar wears a pink cloak, while Them's avatar wears a blue cloak. Both appear as robed figures and appear to have some administrative authority within the Church.

Trivia

• In the "Lowlife" music video, Rene Napoli and Jimmy Redhawk James portray two members of Them confined to wheelchairs. The actors who portray the other two members of Them in the video remain unidentified.
• Possible members of Them include the Interviewer, the Devil, the Bodysuit Dancers, and the people that appear in the music video for "Bleach Blonde Baby".
  • Though it was originally speculated that Titanic Sinclair was a member of Them, Poppy refuted this in an interview with the Zach Sang Show, stating that "he has to listen to They too". She also confirmed that only she and Sinclair work for Them.
• Both They and Them are thanked in the credits of Poppy.Computer.
• They gave Poppy's pet cat Pi to her.
• In the I'm Poppy YouTube Red Original, it is speculated that Ivan Kross and his cult are supposed to represent Them and their role in the Poppy universe.
• In a 2018 interview with the Zach Sang Show, Poppy was asked if she had found out who They are and if They revealed themselves to her. Poppy responded that she bought Them a house, later stating that she is grateful for Them and vice versa.
• In March 2019, Poppy revealed in the Poppy.Church Atrium that she only runs her own Instagram and Poppy.Church profiles, while They manage her Twitter.
  • In December 2019, Poppy revealed that MDDN manage her Twitter, which lines up with They being the management behind Poppy.
• In a 2019 interview with BUILD Series, Poppy stated that They dictate what music she listens to, naming Marilyn Manson, Gary Numan and Air as artists that They encourage her to listen to, while Justin Bieber and the Jonas Brothers are artists that They do not encourage her to listen to.
  • Furthermore, she said in the same interview that the Jonas Brothers might have met Them before, and Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit knows Them.