Bundled Up Bernie Sanders Is the Biggest Meme From the Inauguration

Joe Biden's inauguration yesterday gave viewers plenty of meme fodder. Lady Gaga looked like America's Katniss Everdeen (in custom couture, of course) singing the National Anthem with full theater kid bravado. Jennifer Lopez inserted a bar of "Let's Get Loud" into her medley of "This Land Is Your Land" and "America, the Beautiful." Second daughter Ella Emhoff brought Brooklyn cool to DC. Tom Hanks appeared to freeze his butt off during the evening's "Celebrating America" concert. But, of course, no one dominated the meme conversation more than Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Senator who is no stranger to this world. 

Getty photographer Brendan Smialowski captured the senator, famous for his grumpy demeanor and fervent fight for policies like Medicare for All, right before the ceremony was about to begin, sitting by himself on a folding chair, legs crossed, mittens on full display, looking like every person who has ever wanted something to just get started already. The image was perfect for meme-dom, easily extracted from its context, so Bernie could be sitting anywhere. Put him next to Paulie Walnuts in an episode of The Sopranos! Have him replace Kim Cattrall in Sex and the City! Sub Eric Bogosian for him in one of the last scenes of Uncut Gems! Drop him in a Minor Threat band photo! Put him in the middle of New York City, what does he care!!

Replace him with Kristen Stewart in Twilight and, uh, Patrick Swayze in Ghost!

Bernie-meme-ing has become even simpler, thanks to a handy tool from NYU grad student Nick Sawhney that allows you to just type in an address or a location and find Bernie sitting there waiting for you to get on with it. Put Bernie in your front lawn or in front of the Eiffel Tower. Forget Emily in Paris! It's Bernie in Paris! The world (or internet, at least) is your oyster. 

Of course, the best part of all of this is Bernie probably doesn't give a shit about your memes, and is more concentrated right now on what a Democrat-led Senate can do to help struggling Americans. 

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