People Have Turned Bernie Sanders' Inauguration Fashion Into So Much More Than Your Standard Meme
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Senator Bernie Sanders sits in the bleachers on Capitol Hill before Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th U.S. President at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2021. Credit - Brendan Smialowski—AFP/Getty Images
Every big event now has a picture or two that spins off into an internet meme. But what started as a series of photos of Sen. Bernie Sanders arriving at President Joe Biden’s Inauguration in typical Bernie fashion has evolved into so much more.
Serving what one Twitter user aptly described as “dressed to stand on line at the post office” chic, Sanders rolled up to Capitol Hill on Wednesday wearing a familiar beige coat, patterned mittens and a face mask, with a manilla envelope tucked underneath his arm. Strikingly casual amid a sea of inauguration day refinery, it was a look that immediately caught the internet’s eye.
The photo of Sanders making his way down the Capitol steps was enough to get the meme train rolling. However, once a second shot of the bundled up senator perched cross-legged on his socially distanced folding chair made its way online, the Democratic presidential primary candidate officially became the viral star of the day. It wasn’t long before Bernie memes were, to put it lightly, everywhere.
Out on the town having the time of my life with a bunch of friends pic.twitter.com/Qu7UpVTKgQ
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) January 20, 2021
“This could’ve been an email” pic.twitter.com/kn68z6eDhY
— Ashley K. (@AshleyKSmalls) January 20, 2021
He said some of us have a JOB https://t.co/Jd162baBbU
— Person of Lakyn Experience (@OgLakyn) January 20, 2021
When your grandson’s violin recital is running long pic.twitter.com/dTBuCw8EGT
— Clue Heywood (@ClueHeywood) January 20, 2021
showing up to an inauguration with what can only be described as "errands", an incredible power move pic.twitter.com/tf3iqK0fK4
— Matt Buechele (@mattbooshell) January 20, 2021
The story behind Sanders’ instantly iconic (and cold weather-practical) look also began to circulate. Internet sleuths quickly unearthed the fact that not only did Bernie appear to be wearing the same coat from his infamous “I am once again asking” campaign ad (a legendary meme in itself), but that his mittens had been gifted to him by a Vermont teacher who made them out of repurposed wool sweaters and recycled plastic bottles.
You only need one good coat. #InaugurationDay https://t.co/dlVUw9tJaI
— Sara Luterman (@slooterman) January 20, 2021
Bernie’s mittens are made by Jen Ellis, a teacher from Essex Junction, Vt. She gave them to him 2+ years ago and was surprised when he began wearing them on the campaign trail. They are made from repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece made from recycled plastic bottles. pic.twitter.com/ErLr29lY2t
— Ruby Cramer (@rubycramer) January 20, 2021
As the day wore on, social media creatives worked to evolve “Bernie Sanders in a Chair” beyond the confines of a standard meme. Mere minutes after Biden was officially sworn in as President, a Twitter user had already created a transparent PNG of the image to allow others to easily photoshop Bernie into whatever scene they wanted. Soon after, Bernie was popping up everywhere from the Last Supper to album covers to New York City street corners.
Some of my best work honestly #BernieSanders #TheLastSupper pic.twitter.com/T289rAQfUN
— chelsea (@chelsealeite) January 20, 2021
bernie sanders can go anywhere#InaugurationDay #BernieSanders pic.twitter.com/gek4LUfif0
— Madeline Carl (@madeline__carl) January 20, 2021
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKRjsqtHamR
some album covers with cold Bernie pic.twitter.com/teg6TWBdXV
— Pigeons & Planes (@PigsAndPlans) January 20, 2021
https://t.co/nIBet0PdMW pic.twitter.com/FF20zGINhm
— DanCase (@Dan_Case) January 20, 2021
Not me. Us. pic.twitter.com/ec7XgfEl7b
— Guy Fieri (@GuyFieri) January 21, 2021
The best Bernie memes I saw pic.twitter.com/mwq6stLV7Z
— David Leavitt (@David_Leavitt) January 21, 2021
A few hours later, another ingenious Bernie fan had created a Snapchat lens that allowed users to place Bernie in a chair smack dab in the middle of their own homes (or anywhere else they happened to be). What better motivator to get some work done than the vision of a harried politician staring at you from across the room?
Snapchat lens creators always come through pic.twitter.com/p5scP5lQv4
— Peter Hamby (@PeterHamby) January 20, 2021
There’s a new Snapchat filter for the Bernie-inauguration meme, and he apparently feels the same as my wife about how I set the thermostat. pic.twitter.com/C8Vtyk8XPA
— Liam Martin (@LiamWBZ) January 20, 2021
My best work friends don't have Snapchat, so we wandered around campus together and used the Bernie filter everywhere. pic.twitter.com/CRZxwBjfKY
— Haley Gambrell (@hcgambrell) January 21, 2021
And why stop there? Soon, Bernie was going global thanks to a website created by Twitter user Nick Sawhney that let people insert Bernie into scenes from Google Maps Street View.
I made a website where you can put bernie in places using google maps street view. Enjoy!https://t.co/UfY5g9xU2k pic.twitter.com/8rstiEXOHf
— nick (@nick_sawhney) January 21, 2021
In the natural cycle of popular internet trends, Bernie in a chair was popping up on various forms of merch by the end of the night. You can now sip coffee out of a mug featuring Bernie and his mittens every morning if you so desire.
The mug for a bris, a shiva, a long line at Zabar's, a protracted and infuriating call with your insurance provider. This isn't an endorsement of anything other than sitting Like This.https://t.co/djKxnRye2S pic.twitter.com/NU3kb3qEL9
— Jewish Currents (@JewishCurrents) January 20, 2021
The only comment Sen. Sanders has made thus far seems to be a pretty on brand Instagram post. In a short video, he answers a question about his fashion by calling for the Senate to pass $2,000 coronavirus relief checks for every adult in America.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKSkvuXAcdw
No response could’ve encapsulated Bernie’s inauguration day energy more.