Today was the day that Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, but many on the internet were distracted by Bernie Sanders. Although it was to be expected that the United States Senator would be in attendance at the Inauguration ceremony, it was the choice of attire that attracted the internet’s attention and started a new wave of Bernie memes on Twitter and elsewhere.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the events that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, the 2020 Inauguration was always expected to be a little different to past ceremonies. For starters, with increased security and social distancing measures in place, only select invitees were in attendance at the event. Each were seated further apart than usual and wearing a face mask. Although this was the case for everyone in attendance, Bernie, managed to do in a way that has taken the internet by storm.
Shortly before the ceremony officially started, images of those attending were shared online, including one of Bernie. Sitting alone, wearing a mask and wool mittens, along with the choice of coat, immediately struck a chord with Twitter users, who were quick to reshare the image with their own take on it. This included Vanessa Friedman, Fashion Director for The New York Times.
Bernie Gets The Twitter Meme Treatment
Soon after the initial image appeared online, Bernie, the mittens, and the folding chair were all quick to get the meme treatment by Twitter. In an image tweeted by a number of users, including @EugeneGlukh, Bernie ended up in the famous 1932 "Lunch atop a Skyscraper" photo taken during the construction of New York's Rockefeller Center.
Another meme that has proven popular online was shared by @Dan_Case and shows Bernie selling band merch.
There were also a number of movie and show-related memes doing the rounds online, with Bernie showing up in scenes from Games of Thrones to Glee. In one Tweet by Adam Sheehan, Bernie features in The End of Evangelion.
Even the official Twitter account for the Emmy award-winning Schitt's Creek got in on the Bernie meme action.
While, in a Tweet by The Amazing Atheist, memes collide when Bernie ends up sitting on the same bench as Sad Keanu.
These are only a selection of the memes currently circulating online and not just on Twitter either. For example, there are now a number of Reddit posts starting to pop up, including this one that highlights Bernie seemingly wearing the same jacket that previously was the subject of a different Bernie meme. Or, this one focusing on how Bernie is dressed this way as there were plenty of other "errands to run" after the Inauguration ended. All in all, while the events of today were newsworthy alone, Bernie has managed to spice them up a little more on Twitter, Reddit, and the internet in general.
Source: Twitter