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What's With The Zyn Memes And Why Does Chuck Schumer Want The Product Banned? The 'Zynsurrection' Explained
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has asked for a federal crackdown on the nicotine product Zyn. In turn, the rebellion forming around the hearing is being called the "Zynsurrection."
Like the precursor crackdown on Juul, the threat of Zyn being banned in the country is sparking outrage, discourse and memes surfacing across social media platforms like Twitter / X, TikTok and Reddit, among many others.
However, will the U.S. government actually take away the nation's Zyn? What's the reasoning behind Schumer's statements? Let's explain.
What Is Zyn?
Zyn is a nicotine product that resembles chewing tobacco, however, it contains no tobacco. Instead, a can of Zyn is filled with nicotine pouches that somewhat resemble a pillow. Like chewing tobacco, though, Zyn pouches are meant for the gums of the user.
Zyn was introduced to the American consumer in 2014 by the Swedish company Swedish Match. Since then, Zyn has gained a large buyer base, leading to Philip Morris' acquisition of Swedish Match in 2022. The purchase was roughly $16 billion. Philip Morris also notably owns Marlboro.
Why Does Chuck Schumer Want To Crack Down On Zyn?
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) held a press conference this week in which he called Zyn "a pouch full of problems." Overall, he warned parents and urged federal authorities to crack down on the product. He alleged that the company, Philip Morris, had been using social media to "hook" young kids.
Schumer's recent concern with the product is potentially the result of a New York Times article called "Our Kids Are Living in a Different Digital World" that was published two weeks ago. It documented and discussed the viral promotion of Zyn on social media, specifically centering on TikTok where, since 2022, a system of Zyn slang puns has become commonplace.
What Does 'Zynsurrection' Mean?
After Schumer's announcement, users on X humorously compared the national reaction to the proposed crackdown to the January 6th insurrection, claiming that what they'd do after a Zyn ban would be far worse.
In turn, many started to use the Zyn pun "Zynsurrection," generating AI art to represent the nicotine-fueled riot. Some of the art showed gladiators fighting for their pouches. Others showed variations of the "Come And Take It" flag.
Even political pundits and officials have since used "Zynsurrection" online, most notably including the always-viral Marjorie Taylor Greene.
What's With The Zyn Memes?
Many of the memes that are referencing Schumer's proposed crackdown follow the same theme as Zynsurrection: rebellion. People who use Zyn daily (or even casually) want to rebel against "the man's" supposed ban. However, the memes also play on the absurdity of the situation, downplaying the seriousness of Zyn's grip on children which Schumer believes is present.
Out of this, Zyn is starting to become a symbol for conservative pundits (like Marjorie Taylor Greene) and meme pages who are light-heartedly (but also earnestly) implying that taking away America's Zyn is like taking away America's guns.
Of course, however, there are also people who are posting Zyn memes out of the pure absurdity of the situation without any political intent. Right now, it's hard to tell if Schumer is right to be concerned.
Regardless, the United States vs. "upper decker Zynnies" is an awfully strange powerscale and objectively deserves memes.
For the full history of the 2024 Federal Zyn Crackdown, be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.
