Michael Jackson's 1987 hit "Smooth Criminal" remains one of his most iconic tracks, but many fans are only now discovering the true identity of the mysterious "Annie" he repeatedly asks about. Throughout the song, Jackson asks "Annie, are you okay?" roughly 30 to 40 times, sparking decades of curiosity.
The Origin of Annie
Contrary to popular belief, Annie is not a real person. The name refers to Resusci Anne, a CPR training mannequin used worldwide since 1960. The doll's face was modeled after a death mask of an unidentified young girl pulled from the River Seine in Paris in the late 1800s. The girl, known as "The Girl from the River Seine," was presumed to have drowned, possibly by suicide.
Connection to the Song
In the lyrics, Annie is depicted as a victim of violence: "She was struck down, it was her doom." The line "Annie, are you okay?" mimics the phrase taught in CPR classes to check for responsiveness. Fans on Quora and social media expressed surprise at this revelation, with one user noting that trainees are instructed to explain to Annie what happened—"she's been hit by, she's been struck by a smooth criminal"—before celebrating her rescue.
Another fan joked, "But why was Michael Jackson taking CPR lessons?" while a third called it "a truly 'today I learnt' moment." The mannequin, created by doll maker Asmund S. Laerdal and sculptor Emma Mathiassen in 1958, has since become a staple in medical training, forever linking the pop star's hit to life-saving education.
