To say a photo of Bernie Sanders at last week’s inauguration went viral would be a bit of an understatement. The image of a masked Sanders - seated in a folding chair, bundled up in a winter coat wearing gloves made from recycled wool - has been seen virtually everywhere.
NYU student Nick Sawhney used Twitter to direct traffic to his website that uses Google Maps street view to allow users to place the image of Sanders pretty much anywhere in the world. And the response has been overwhelming. Sawhney’s tweet has been liked nearly a quarter of a million times with almost 50k retweets.
As of Sunday afternoon, a crochet doll of Sanders in his now world-famous attire was selling on eBay for $14,900.
The likeness has been recreated in everything from bobbleheads and stickers to paintings and drawings and, even apparel. If you’re looking to steal Sanders’ inauguration day look, replica clothing has also been made available within the last week.
Ever the good sport, the 79-year-old Vermont senator himself capitalized on the wildly popular meme by putting it on sweatshirts with a $45 price tag. The “Chairman Sanders Crewneck” sweater quickly sold out with all of the proceeds going to Meals on Wheels Vermont. Sanders told CBS “You know in Vermont, we dress warm, we know something about the cold, and we’re not so concerned about good fashion, we want to keep warm.”