Bernie Sanders' Dank Meme Stash

The group was created in early October 2015 by college student Will Dowd and author Sean Walsh with the purpose of supporting the 2016 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. On April 25, 2016, the group was temporarily affected by a 2016 Bernie Sanders Facebook groups suspension. SpinMedia's website Death and Taxess Jamie Peck said that "I myself can report that porn is still popping up in popular FB group Bernie Sanders' Dank Meme Stash, and its members are not amused." The Facebook page has over 50,000 likes. As of November 2020, the group is inaccessible on Facebook due to its popularity. ==Content==

The group's content is user-submitted. Members create posts as commentary for Sanders and his presidential campaign. Many posts edit the politician into popular culture, such as rap album covers, or into Internet memes. Memes include image macros. While predominantly based on Facebook, content from the group is also shared on Reddit, Tumblr, and Twitter. Voting selfies are also uploaded. The group's moderators aim for positive commentary on Sanders. Their goal with these memes is to make people think of Bernie as comedic. Memes that are sexist, racist, or ad hominem attacks against other candidates are not approved, but were generally ignored, especially sexist memes against Hillary Clinton. Dowd said little coordination went into the creation of memes. In 2016, the group popularized the hugely popular meme "Bernie or Hillary?" that pitted Clinton and Sanders as opponents, as well as the "Ted Cruz–Zodiac meme". On February 10, 2016, another meme, this one an email originally sent to Clinton supporters during the New Hampshire primary, was also popularized via the group. One of the supporters was Maddi Epping, a slam poet from Des Moines, Iowa. The email contained the subject line "I'm not kidding, Maddi". Epping posted a screenshot to the group. The meme became a trending topic on social media platforms and was referenced in several news outlets. ==Reactions==

Reception Vices Carles Buzz said the group's memes "transcend the traditional media coverage ... The memes are explanatory, deconstructive, self-aware, and incendiary." The exhibition included Ryder Ripps's installation "Faces of Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Stash" featuring Skype video chats with members of the group as well as a painting of American rapper Lil B as Sanders by Canadian record producer Ryan Hemsworth. The exhibition raised over $10,000 in donations to the Sanders campaign. Splinter groups like "I Got Banned From Bernie Sanders' Dank Meme Stash" also have thousands of members. This was a positive for Bernie, as this allowed him to appeal to the younger generation. The Facebook group was widely followed by "a staggering 300,000 supporters. The memes helped Americans see Sanders as "down to earth". Though this did not lead to a nomination for Bernie, it elevated his public image. Former moderator of the group Sean Walsh said, "This generation's memes are that generation's C-SPAN or Huffington Post. Seriously, memes are going to be very prevalent in politics. They're going to get ideas into your head." The Washington Posts Caitlin Dewey believed memes are more participatory than news articles or official campaign letters besides addressing voter apathy through humor. Vices Carles Buzz found memes curated by the group appealed more to a progressive base than the Facebook pages for local radio station. While examining the popularity of both Sanders and British politician Jeremy Corbyn, Jacobins Peter Frase used the group as an example that "exploits the incongruity of these men's nebbishy affect when contrasted with their youthful supporters." Fortunes Ryan Holmes found it interesting that the memes had "little – or nothing – to do with Sanders' actual campaign." The Daily Koss Nerdstrom thought an online community like the group was what rival presidential candidates lacked. In Northwestern University's news magazine North by Northwestern, Facebook page Cats for Kasich founder Blake Kolesa and co-founder Noah Orner called it "one of the many pop-culture phenomena that connect younger voters to politics." Business Insiders Dan Turkel pointed out how the group highlighted enthusiasm among young Internet users. The Daily Dots Vic Vaiana said the group was one of the first leftist meme spaces to attract significant media coverage as well as increasing the popularity of similar spaces. Brit + Cos Tannara Yelland found Sanders' Internet appeal via memes resonated with Millennials. ==See also==