The inauguration of the 46th President of the United States was distinctly marked with feelings of hope, progress, and much-needed change. Amidst the clusters of dignitaries and government officials in bright, eye-catching colors, one onlooker stood out above the pageantry; Bernie Sanders, braving the chilly January air in a forest green coat, mask, and patterned mittens.
The ordinarily feisty Senator from Vermont was huddled decisively in his chair, seemingly contemplating the state of the nation, and the enormity of the tasks ahead. As in the past, Sanders found himself immediately turned into the subject of memes, the best of which have been gathered here.
Bernie And Keanu
Keanu Reeves has built a reputation for being one of the most compassionate celebrities there is, and like Bernie is no stranger to being made into a meme. Here Bernie keeps him company while he eats lunch in the Sad Keanu meme, which was created after a fan saw the star eating a sandwich alone.
While Reeves keeps his political opinions private (much like the rest of his life), what few things he's said seem to align themselves with many of Sanders' ideologies.
Mando And Baby Bernie
The Mandalorian is one of the most popular science fiction series of all time, combining the best of Star Wars storytelling with nostalgia for the Original Trilogy, and the latest in FX technology. One of the biggest components of its success is also Grogu, the infant version of Yoda's species.
Grogu can be a difficult ward, and despite Din Djarin protecting him from the threats of the galaxy, his mischief and trouble making make him not unlike a certain mittens-wearing Senator from Vermont.
Bernie And Friends
In the quest to put Bernie Sanders on anything and everything, he's wound up on the orange couch from the '90s show Friends, placed in one of the configurations the characters take during the opening credits' intro.
Unlike the rest of the cast, he doesn't seem too thrilled to be bounding around outside, at night, in the cold, in front of a fountain. Perhaps his expression is due to pondering how the lamp inexplicably is getting electricity.
Bernie And Statler
Bernie Sanders has been known for passionately sharing his opinions during his career in politics, which have caused some people to compare him to the two cantankerous Muppets who always heckled the cast of The Muppet Show.
In this meme Bernie's been turned into Waldorf who, much like the Senator sports white hair and an attitude somewhere between affable and grumpy depending on what's happening around him.
Feel The Burn, Luke
Had Star Wars' Anakin Skywalker heeded the words of the Jedi Council, he would never have been trained as a Jedi Knight, and his descent into darkness (which took the entire galaxy with it) might have been avoided.
Had Bernie Sanders been sitting on the Jedi Council he might have intervened, and worked with Anakin on a more immediate use of his talents, like growing up to stop social injustice and slavery in the galaxy.
Bernpool
Deadpool remains one of the most controversial figures in Marvel Comics thanks to his outlandish and outspoken personality, so it's not surprising that this meme shows the Merc with a Mouth feeling the Bern.
Bernie can be a bit of an outsider within the Democratic party itself, but just like whenever the Avengers work with Deadpool, he's a necessary catalyst for change by saying what other heroes won't say.
Bernie Atop A Skyscraper
One of the most famous photographs in the world was taken by Charles C. Ebbets to promote the RCA Building, and depicted 11 ironworkers eating lunch 840 feet above the streets of New York City. It appeared in the New York Herald Tribune, and other shots included workers pretending to sleep on the girder, as well as pass a football back and forth.
The wonders of photography at the time have been combined with the wonders of photographic manipulation today, placing Bernie in the company of the tradesmen seamlessly.
Bernie Instinct
In one of the most controversial scenes in cinematic history, Sharon Stone crossed and re-crossed her legs without wearing anything under her skirt, visibly shaking up her interrogator (Michael Douglas) and audiences everywhere in Basic Instinct.
Stone trolled Bernie ahead of the Wisconsin primaries in 2020, apparently shocked he was still gunning to be the Democratic Nominee four years after his last attempt. His fans quickly came to his aid, as they had done in the years since 2016 when she'd first started her assault, but this meme gives Sanders the last laugh.
Bernie And Edward
To some viewers, placing Bernie Sanders in a field of flowers with Edward from Twilight would make the movie a lot more watchable. And at 104 years, Edward would be able to teach the distinguished Senator a thing or two.
Bernie would most likely have chastised Edward for not being more involved in world affairs, especially given the breadth of knowledge he had, combined with the youthful vigor to turn his observations into actionable methods of change, rather than spending most of his time sulking about a girl.
Bernie Sanders With Jay And Silent Bob
While it's anyone's guess whether or not Bernie would be partying with Jay and Silent Bob, he's enough of a social outsider to find some common ground with the two slackers outside of Dante's video store.
Met with a hearty, "Hey what you want Grizzly Adams?" Bernie would probably settle in and start a discussion about the differences between Socialism and Democratic socialism, communism and dictatorship, and then tell Jay to stop speaking about women in such a derogatory tone.
Like Is Like A Box Of Mittens
Bernie Sanders shares a lot of qualities with Forrest Gump; they're both earnest, hard-working, and believe that everyone should be treated equally and with respect. No doubt Bernie and Forest would have truly provocative conversations if found on a bench together.
Forrest Gump highlighted a time of great civil unrest in the United States during the '60s, and Forest was right in the middle of it fighting for change. In a deleted scene from the movie, Forest runs into none other than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and one of Bernie's first trips to Washington DC included listening to Dr. King speak.
Disgruntled SDCC Artist Booth
Artists know the drudgery that can come from long days spent in their con booth. This meme places Bernie right in the action of an event like the San Diego Comic Con, seemingly disgruntled, and surrounded by art prints.
Artists charge rates based on their knowledge, level of skill, time, and materials, but often they're not paid what they're worth, and customers prefer to haggle over prices without realizing the hours of labor and love that go into a print.
Bernie Sanders, First Of His Name, Wearer Of Mittens, Sitter Of Chairs
Game of Thrones might have been a great series that ended on a disappointing note for some fans, but Bernie never seems to lose his appeal. Despite not getting to the White House when he ran for president in 2016, here he is sitting on the Iron Throne, which is not easy feat.
Many fans had a problem with Bran Stark seemingly gaining the crown out of nowhere (the throne had been destroyed) in Season 8, much like how Bernie supporters felt disillusioned when he failed to secure the right numbers to win the Democratic Primary in 2020 and Joe Biden became the Democratic Nominee.
To Boldly Go Where No Mittens Have Gone Before
Bernie Sanders has already been made into a Star Trek meme filling in for Captain Jean-Luc Picard, pleading with Americans to denounce Democrat establishment dogma. Here he is on the bridge of the USS Enterprise-E, looking ready to take on the status quo once again.
The meme also includes him as the beaten down Captain Pike as seen in Star Trek: The Original Series, the victim of a horrible accident while in the line of duty, but no less committed to lead.