This week we mourn the death of true humor. And what, may I ask you, is truer humor than memes? Recent casualties include Pepe the Frog, Between two Ferns, The Ellen Show, and The Tonight Show. In their effort to garner young support, two politically obtuse candidates resort to cheap humor rather than concentrating on…well, anything, really. And the results are quality memes and shows being sacrificed to an election desperate for the involvement of politically frustrated youth.
The first eulogy to be read is that of Pepe the Frog, the beloved meme who “is love,” according to his author. The poor personified frog was de-memed due to its usage as a hate symbol by anti-Semitic and white supremacist groups. After such associations and designations were made, Trump himself retweeted the meme.
In response, Clinton’s website published a statement explaining the issue, resolving that the only way to stop the meme-damage is by voting, leading us all to wonder about the hidden political power memes hold. The poor frog has strayed from his original “simple life of snacks [and] soda” and is socializing in all the wrong circles.
Other lost humor from the last few weeks comes from Hillary Clinton’s political agenda. In an effort to garner a youthful audience, she appeared on Between Two Ferns, an Internet comedy serial by Funny or Die that previously ran hilarious interviews of stars like Justin Bieber, Steve Carell, and Michelle Obama. She enabled the host, Zach Galafianikis, to poke fun at her clothing, past mistakes, and personal friendship with Donald Trump.
More recently, she appeared on Ellen in a similar pursuit, claiming that she’s going to “talk about what this election should be about, which is peoples’ lives and our country.” Yet the interview ended in a spoof dance-off between Clinton and an undecided voter. It seems the young audience both candidates are after may not care for serious political things—maybe it’s only humor that provokes them.
Additionally worth mourning is the loss of everyone’s beloved Jimmy Fallon, who, in his chase of a good laugh, accidentally humanized a man who’s literally a threat to all minority groups in America when he muffled Trump’s hair and spoke to him about his grandkids. Not cool. Yet it seems, for the sake of humor, candidates are willing to do anything, and so are TV hosts.
So what is humor worth nowadays? Is it the fine line between voting and not voting, the decision between two candidates, the reason why we choose who we do? Is the only way for candidates to become relatable through memes and cheap Internet laughs? Though the fate of our memes seems to be in jeopardy, so does the fate of politics itself.
Or perhaps I just need to lighten up and prepare for a future of politics drenched in humor, not-so-witty phrases, and awful memes, grab some popcorn and tune in like this is the next best reality TV show. It can’t be that bad, right?