Bernie Sanders Wearing Mittens Sitting in a Chair
Part of a series on Inauguration of Joe Biden. [View Related Entries]
About
Bernie Sanders Wearing Mittens Sitting in a Chair refers to the numerous jokes and photoshops made from pictures of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' attending the Inauguration of Joe Biden in a parka and mittens. In particular, a picture of Sanders sitting bundled up in a chair became an image macro and exploitable series.
Origin
At the Inauguration of Joe Biden, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders attended in a coat and mittens,[1] which stood in stark contrast to other attendees who had more formal wear. That day, Getty photographer Brendan Smialowski published the image of Sanders seated at the inauguration in his parka and mittens.
Many shared the image online, including New Yorker writer Rachel Syme, who tweeted[2] the image with the caption, "i need this picture to become the new 'i would prefer not to' stand in." The post received more than 20,000 likes and 4,000 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below, left). BuzzFeed political reporter Ruby Cramer tweeted[3] about the mittens' origins, "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." The post received more than 230,000 likes and 46,000 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below, right).
This was parodied in a post by Twitter user @CamBNewton[5] that gained over 2,400 retweets and 20,000 likes (shown below). They wrote, "Everyone else: wearing giant, dressy black and grey coats Bernie: This is my good jacket, and it keeps me warm. I’m wearing it."
Spread
Throughout the day, people joked about Sanders' wardrobe online (examples below). Twitter[4] published an events page on the reaction, writing "Cozy and casual Bernie Sanders makes a fashion statement on Inauguration Day."
That day on Reddit, the photo of Sanders reached the front page of /r/MemeEconomy and the top 100 posts overall. Redditor droplit_ posted the image in the /r/MemeEconomy subreddit[6] received more than 6,000 points (97% upvoted) and titled the thread "Invest in Bundled up Bernie."
Several media outlets covered the image, including Vogue,[7] GQ,[8] NJ.com,[9] The Cut,[10] The Daily Beast,[11] People,[12] New York Post,[13] BuzzFeed,[14] Mic,[15] Ebaumsworld[16] and more.
Various Examples
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Search Interest
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External References
[1] Getty – Former presidential candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) sits in the bleachers on Capitol Hill
[2] Twitter – @rachsyme's Tweet
[3] Twitter – @rubycramer's Tweet
[4] Twitter Events – Cozy and casual Bernie Sanders makes a fashion statement on Inauguration Day
[5] Twitter – @CamBNewton
[6] Reddit – /r/memeeconomy
[7] Vogue – Bernie Sanders Rewears Mittens by a Vermont Teacher to the Inauguration
[8] GQ – Bernie Sanders' Mittens Won the Inauguration Fit Battle
[9] NJ.com – Bernie Sanders won the inauguration with his coat and mittens meme
[10] The Cut – Bernie’s Inauguration Look Is Instantly Iconic
[11] The Daily Beast – Jill Biden and Kamala Harris Dressed Regally at the Inauguration. And Bernie Sanders’ Mittens Rocked.
[12] People – The Story Behind Bernie Sanders' Viral Inauguration Day Mittens
[13] New York Post – Bernie Sanders roasted on Twitter for wearing parka, mittens to inauguration"
[14] BuzzFeed – Bernie Sanders Became A Meme Because He Showed Up To The Inauguration Dressed So Practically
[15] Mic – Unfazed Bernie Sanders is the best meme to come out of the inauguration
[16] Ebaumsworld – 30 Funny Unfazed Bernie Sanders Memes from the Inauguration
Top Comments
The Doctor of Wumbology
Jan 20, 2021 at 05:01PM EST
Yinzer
Jan 20, 2021 at 10:42PM EST in reply to