On Wednesday night, Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris faced off in the vice-presidential debate. While there is a lot to be said about the trajectory of the debate, what words were exchanged and what political beliefs clarified (namely, racist ones), the show was stolen by the barrage of memes and jokes it gave birth to. Specifically the one surrounding the fly.
Twitter users who skipped the debate must have been very confused when #flygate started trending. This occurred because a housefly landed on Mike Pence’s very white hair and subsequently went viral.
i am a simple fly. i love trash, but i hate fascism.
— Mike Pence’s Fly ️ (@MikePenceFly___) October 8, 2020
Joe Biden’s campaign saw an opportunity to appeal to their voters and ran with it.
Pitch in $5 to help this campaign fly. https://t.co/CqHAId0j8t pic.twitter.com/NbkPl0a8HV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 8, 2020
What started out as a harmless joke, however, quickly devolved to a racist one. Talk-show host Stephen Colbert mocked Mike Pence’s debate fly.
“I want to point out that I have a black friend…by which I mean the fly on my head,” he said.
Soon enough, even #blackfliesmatter started trending, which enraged many people who were rightly upset that a joke was getting more traction than the actual movement for justice.
so this racist joke is really gonna have a moment huh https://t.co/Y7g9YyoPpi
— Hanif Abdurraqib (@NifMuhammad) October 8, 2020
“black flies matter”
“that fly was pence’s first black friend” pic.twitter.com/tF5kRhU9qi— ah meanie ⌒*･ﾟ✲ (@angrybIackgirI) October 8, 2020
Unfortunately, there is a rich history of belittling the Black Lives Matter movement with unfair comparisons and jokes, and an even richer history of likening BIPOC, especially Black folks, to animals and animalistic caricatures. While people might only have intended to take a dig at a racist, they ended up doing so in a racist manner. There must be a way we can move forward and give attention to the causes that deserve it, and work towards punching up, not down, even with humor that is seemingly harmless.
So, say and think what you will about the fly that captured our imaginations. Just don’t say he’s Black.
