The Canadian Encyclopedia — neutral, cited, updated
July 26, 2026Sources cited
Canadianwire.
Canada’s encyclopedia & explainer
Home›Culture & Lifestyle›Hobbies›I Want to Be a Ninja
Culture & Lifestyle • Hobbies

I Want to Be a Ninja

"I Want to Be a Ninja" is a novelty song and viral comedy performance associated with Jennifer Murphy, an American personality, entrepreneur, and former beauty pageant titleholder.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

I Want to Be a Ninja is a novelty song and viral comedy performance associated with Jennifer Murphy, an American personality, entrepreneur, and former beauty pageant titleholder. It became widely known through online sharing of Murphy's performance and later inspired the 2024 feature film *I Want to Be Neenja! The Movie*.

Origin and performance

The song is linked to Jennifer Murphy, who performed it in a video that circulated online in 2016. Murphy is an American personality, entrepreneur, actress, and former beauty pageant titleholder. The video was uploaded to her YouTube channel in April 2016.

Internet reception

The performance became an internet meme and was widely recognized through reposts and commentary. Its popularity is associated more with online culture than with mainstream music distribution.

In 2024, Murphy released *I Want to Be Neenja! The Movie*, a feature film based on the song. This extended the original internet performance into a longer comedic work.

The title uses the figure of a ninja, a term for spies and infiltrators in pre-modern Japan, as a pop-culture reference. The historical ninja differed from the exaggerated fictional image common in entertainment.

Key facts

  • I Want to Be a Ninja is most closely associated with Jennifer Murphy's online performances.
  • Murphy is an American personality, entrepreneur, actress, and former beauty pageant titleholder.
  • The phrase was popularized in a video performance uploaded to Murphy's YouTube channel in April 2016.
  • A 2024 feature film, I Want to Be Neenja! The Movie, was released based on the song.
  • The title is a comedic reference to the cultural idea of a ninja rather than a historical document or instructional work.

Frequently asked questions

What is "I Want to Be a Ninja"?
It is a novelty song and viral comedy performance associated with Jennifer Murphy.
Who performed it?
The performance is associated with Jennifer Murphy, an American personality, entrepreneur, actress, and former beauty pageant titleholder.
Why did it become known online?
It circulated widely after Murphy uploaded a performance video to her YouTube channel in 2016.
Was it turned into a film?
Yes. A feature film titled *I Want to Be Neenja! The Movie* was released in 2024.
Is it about historical ninjas?
Only indirectly. The title uses ninja imagery, but the work is a comedic pop-culture performance rather than a historical account.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Murphy
    Supports: Identifies Jennifer Murphy and notes her 2016 performance of "I want to be NEENJA!" and the 2024 film based on the song.
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja
    Supports: Provides background on the historical meaning of ninja as spies and infiltrators in pre-modern Japan.