Next to the words of Inauguration poet Amanda Gorman, the most lasting impression from Inauguration Day might be an image of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
Soon after the inauguration of President Joe Biden was complete, an image of Senator Bernie Sanders, bundled up for protection from the D.C. winter in Vermont fashion, began to circulate around the Internet. The twist: the senator has been transplanted to various locations around the world, in addition to notorious album covers, movie scenes, and more.
The internet really can be magical pic.twitter.com/Jrwkj2twii
— Ashley Holub, PhD (@ashtroid22) January 21, 2021
Many of the meme's manifestations had an undeniably urbanist theme: images of Bernie on New York Subway or poised on a crossbeam above the New York City skyline in the famous photo of construction workers taking a break from the construction of 30 Rockefeller Plaza in 1932, for example.
Urbanist memelords got ahold of that photo of Bernie Sanders at the inauguration. pic.twitter.com/I2AMdUlygO
— James Brasuell (@CasualBrasuell) January 20, 2021
I've seen enough. This is the winner. pic.twitter.com/DuDeUGnGz4
— Fred (@WaywardWinifred) January 20, 2021
Some examples are just fun, like the one of Bernie on a ride with Guy Fieri, presumably to check out some diners, drive-ins, or dives, but not necessarily in that order.
Not me. Us. pic.twitter.com/ec7XgfEl7b
— Guy Fieri (@GuyFieri) January 21, 2021
An article in the New York Times the day after the inauguration explains more about how the original image, property of Getty Images, took over the Internet on a day that many had been pining for since 2016.
Add to the meme craze a Google-powered layer of fun. An app created by Nick Sawhney (@nick_sawhney on Twitter) makes it possible to enter an address or location and make your own version of the meme. I tested the app on my apartment, and it works. It looks like Bernie has been outside my apartment more than I have been since March 2020.
Read the full story: Enter an address or location and bernie will appear there.
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