Although Joe Biden’s inauguration has left us with many memorable moments, such as Lady Gaga’s brilliant performance, some incredibly put-together monochromatic outfits, and my personal favourite, Amanda Gorman’s spirited and inspiring poem, one of the most talked about moments of the inauguration was orchestrated by everyone’s favourite Vermont senator, Bernie Sanders. In such a strange time between the pandemic, the capitol riots, and exam uncertainty, I found myself once again asking for a Bernie meme (please understand this reference), and of course Senator Sanders delivered as usual. So, in honour of one of the people who inspired my love for American politics, I’ve decided to rank my favourite Bernauguration memes from my least favourite to my very favorites.
Before I begin, I would just like to issue a reminder that although we live in a time where ‘stan’ culture is so prevalent and memes often play a large part in that, it is important for us to remember that idolising or ‘stanning’ politicians is harmful and undermines the dynamic between elected officials and their constituents, where the constituents should hold the majority of the power, not the politicians, and retracts from the role of politicians to oftentimes compromise on promises or ideals for the sake of passing legislation. Now onto the memes.
- Trump Family Bernie- This one was funny, but the poor guy looks so out of place. We all know how he feels about billionaires, both real and self-proclaimed.
- Pigeon Bernie- I loathe pigeons with my entire being which is why this is ranked so low, but there is something about Bernie being so unbothered that really gets me. Maybe he’s trying to get them to organise a labour union; they do work for the bourgeoisie after all.
- Pope Bernie- This gets points because the Pope memes were my favourite for a long time, but loses points because it is fairly outdated.
- Gangnam Style Bernie- This evoked a visceral reaction in me I can only describe as a mixture of fear, shock, bewilderment, and rage. This made me start crying. I wish I were kidding.
- Where’s Wally Bernie- I found Wally before I found Bernie and, shamefully, I did have to check the comments of the Instagram post I found this on to figure it out.
- Hot Dog Cart Bernie- Loses points because I think those hot dogs are really foul tasting, but gains points for good editing and locational accuracy.
- Toy Story Bernie- Not great editing, but that scene where Andy was deciding whether to keep Woody or Bernie certainly was tear-jerker.
- Baby Yoda Bernie- I have no words; this is just a masterpiece.
- Bake Off Bernie- Sandi looks a tad different in this one…
- Subway Bernie- As much as I despise the subway, this is well edited and very on-brand. Not only is he returning to his roots as a New Yorker, but he’s doing so in the style of the people.
- Arthur Bernie- Brilliant combination of two iconic memes and a nugget of truth: absolute perfection.
- Sound of Music Bernie- Bernie memes, Julie Andrews, and a really good song: a few of my favourite things
- Bat Bernie- He looks like he’s having the time of his life and honestly, who can blame him?
- Space Bern (I saw a lunar eclipse)- Bernie would make a good astronaut, but I feel he probably wouldn’t be a fan of space imperialism and Elon Musk wouldn’t let him go on his spaceships.
- Sorting Hat Bernie- Bernie Sanders is a Slytherin, this is the hill I will die on. He also would’ve joined SPEW and fought for the Order, but wouldn’t have agreed with the underage recruitment of members or the classification of important information. I feel like I could write a whole essay on this but I’ll save everyone the pain.
- Joe Biden Presidency Bernie- I’m not gonna lie, it really feels great to see Bernie in the Oval Office even if it is in a photoshopped portrait. He’d be a great source of inspiration to Biden, I’m sure.
- Gillian Anderson Bernie- This is ranked so high just because of how much I love Gillian Anderson. Her Instagram caption was funny and the fact she posted it herself was even funnier.
- Bob Ross Bernie- This is just pure serotonin.
- Big Mittens Bernie- MITTENS!!!!
- Queen Bernie- I’ve been on a real Queen binge recently (I think I’ve memorised all the outtakes of their recordings- a personal favourite is the Somebody to Love harmony from hell), so this edit certainly made me really happy, and the pure joy that is Bernie’s mittens juxtaposes nicely with the darkness and shadows of the Bohemian Rhapsody cover.
- Malcolm and Marie Bernie- I don’t think anyone’s surprised that my number one is of course Zendaya, but really the excitement of the trailer that just dropped along with my love for both Zendaya and politics was really just the winning factor. Possibly the only thing that could compare to this one would be Bernie photoshopped onto the boat in Venice in Spider-Man: Far From Home (if anyone wants to have a go).
Although that is the end of my official list, here are two more that aren’t memes, but worthy of mentioning nonetheless:
- Crocheted Bernie- I want one.
- Chairman Bernie Merch- I’m not generally a fan of politicians selling merch, but 100% of the proceeds go to Meals on Wheels Vermont, and “Chairman” references his new position as Chairman of the Budget Committee, which is simply incredible news, so it’s worth it.
I’d love to see and hear everyone’s favourites, and to the people who’ve been sending me Bernie memes, thank you and please never stop!
