Bernie Sanders blessed us with yet another meme at the 2021 presidential inauguration on Thursday. Images of Bernie rugged up in his mask and knitted mittens at the ceremony caused quite a stir and didn’t take long to enter meme territory with Sanders cropped into endless scenarios.
If you’re looking to try out this phenomenon for yourself, I am pleased to inform you there is now an app for that.
Introducing ‘Put Bernie Anywhere’
Nick Sawhney, a student at NYU, has come up with the genius website ‘Put Bernie Anywhere’. The website uses Google Street View to automatically crop Bernie into a location of choice. Users can input an address or location into the search bar and Bernie will appear there.
I made a website where you can put bernie in places using google maps street view. Enjoy!https://t.co/UfY5g9xU2k pic.twitter.com/8rstiEXOHf
— nick (@nick_sawhney) January 21, 2021
The website doesn’t work for every location but it does a pretty decent job. I couldn’t get a good shot of Bernie at the Sydney Harbour Bridge for example. But if I put in the Sydney Opera House, this is what I got.
You have to get pretty specific with your search terms as well. If I simply put in Central Station the website says the specific location can’t be found. But if I put in ‘Central Station Sydney’ we get results.
So a hot tip is to get as specific as possible with your locations. The images are taken from Google Street View so there won’t always be a crystal clear picture available, but it’s pretty fun to see Bernie show up outside your house.
Some highlights from other users include Bernie outside Four Season Total Landscaping and Trump Tower.
Four Seasons Total Landscaping pic.twitter.com/M7MyV2wd1Y
— Bottom of the Main Line (@MainLineSpy) January 21, 2021
— Sandy Segeren (@ssinca95) January 21, 2021
Where did this meme come from?
If you somehow missed it, Bernie is a meme sensation once again thanks to his casual outfit at Joe Biden’s inauguration – which comes not long after his “I am once again asking for your support” speech went viral.
Bernie’s chill brown jacket, nicely knitted mittens and disposable blue mask paired with his laidback posture on that fold-up chair inspire both fashion icon and grumpy dad status.
It took the internet no time to crop Bernie out of the inauguration and into a bunch of other scenarios. Here are some highlights.
— Meredith Salenger (@MeredthSalenger) January 21, 2021
The best Bernie Sanders Inauguration meme pic.twitter.com/VSn8gtryY4
— UGene???? (@EugeneGlukh) January 20, 2021
Bernie looking like “this could’ve been an email.” pic.twitter.com/Dacef6o7PE
— shan.tel (@H3YLiGHTSKiN) January 20, 2021
Gonna tell my kids this is how Game of Thrones ended. pic.twitter.com/17MQPKP77m
— The Pixel Factor (@ThePixelFactor) January 20, 2021
You get the idea.
Bernie explained to CBS News afterwards that his outfit was for function rather than fashion, saying “In Vermont, we dress warm”. Fair enough, it did look mighty cold at the inauguration. But people are going to notice if you wear the same jacket twice, particularly one from a viral meme.
This trend has become so iconic you can now buy a variety of merchandise branded with Bernie and his chair and learn how to knit his comfy mittens.