Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is a staunch supporter of fair wages and a former presidential candidate who lost the Democratic nomination to current President Biden. And thanks to his practical clothing choices, he is also now the center of a seemingly endless flood of altered images that dominated some corners of the internet in the hours after Biden’s socially distant tenure on Wednesday.
Amid the dark suits and shiny coats punctuating the Capitol steps, Mr. Sanders was photographed sitting masked, cross-legged and wrapped in a bulky coat and gloves to protect himself from the icy climate of Washington, DC Soon after, the image, taken by photographer Brendan Smialowski for Getty Images, started circulating on social networks inserted in a wide range of photographs and scenes from films and works of art.
On a whole day about President Biden, it was somewhat appropriate that Mr. Sanders, whose greatest political support in the presidential race came from young voters, was nevertheless the star of the day’s biggest meme by doing nothing but sitting and cross your arms. In his primary competition, Sanders had significantly more followers online than Biden, especially among those who tend to communicate through memes.
Although other memes starring Sanders have often been used to say something – he wore what looks like the same jacket in a 2009 fundraiser video in which he is “again asking for your financial support”, a line which was reused in a litany of ways – there was no deeper meaning for the newest meme. Instead of using his image to argue, he was simply placed in new contexts, with his pose, clothing and expression serving as a joke.
Although the day belonged to Biden, the meme served as a fun side show, a bit of fun and lightness after four years in which presidential politics gave Sanders supporters little reason to be in a good mood.
It wasn’t the only meme inspired by Inauguration Day: others mentioned the outfit of former First Lady Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga, who sang the national anthem dressed not unlike a character from the “Hunger Games”. But even with Janet Yellen, Biden’s nominee for Treasury secretary, dressed so warmly, was Mr. Sanders, the next chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, who seemed by far the favorite.
The first posts about him started with simple analyzes of his practical and relatively unglamorous clothes. Some saw their uncles and parents at their choice put heat on the style.
Still others brought the image of Sanders to the cinema, showing him on the Starship Enterprise bridge in “Star Trek” and as a member of the Avengers.
“In Vermont, we dress, we know something about the cold,” he told Gayle King. “And we don’t care so much about good fashion. We just want to warm up. And that’s what I did today. “
“Mission accomplished,” said King.
Yonette Joseph contributed reporting.