The world was waiting with bated breath for the release of Donald Trump’s mug shot after he was arrested at Fulton County Jail for felony charges over alleged attempts to overthrow the 2020 election results in the state of Georgia. The long-anticipated photo graced the internet Thursday night, August 24, setting both conservative and liberal spheres ablaze with immediate merchandising opportunities, strong emotions, and confirmation of the general un-seriousness of American politics by the way of memes — so let us ring in this historic moment with a curation of the finest.
Trump’s chin-to-chest “Kubrick stare” from the recesses beneath his brow ridge is a far cry from his benign appearance in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). I’m not a fan of horror movies, though, so can someone wake me up when this is over?
Before our heads float off with all of the Orange is the New Black jokes that could be made, let me just sober everyone up with the fact that the real meme is the way we’re being trolled by the Trump administration years later with a side of American art history, as Chicago economics student Joshua Doss pointed out in his brilliant TikTok likening the release of the mug shot to the reception of Grant Woods’s “American Gothic” (1930):
One tidbit sending the internet roaring is the fact that Trump self-reported his hair color as “strawberry blonde.” The early 2000s told us that blondes have more fun, and what better proof is out there than this?
Speaking of blondes having more fun, here’s an obligatory Barbie movie meme, because why not beat a dead horse?
One important perspective that we must not forget to represent is that of the brave Logitech webcam that had to capture Trump’s photo. (Between this mug shot and the game controller used on the imploded Titan submersible, it’s been a strange year for Logitech’s public relations team, hasn’t it?)
Makes me wonder how many times Trump has told the women and girls around him to smile … Though I wouldn’t call the Toddler Tantrum Grimace inherently threatening, either.
POV: You moved to Bushwick … Sorry, Sock.
On the other hand, this is the quintessential lead-poisoned Long Islander death stare that screams “This place is turning into Queens!”
The mug shot edits are also pouring in … I don’t feel the need to show the drag edits as I think they’re low-hanging fruit, but let me put some respect on Donna Wintour with her signature bob:
Architecture firm team page or nightmare blunt rotation? (Hint: it’s both.)
Me: I’m sick of online dating, I need to meet someone in real life …
The people in real life:
And in a moment of seriousness to punctuate this round-up of repostable memes and talking points, we must remind you that Fulton County Jail is currently being investigated for severe overcrowding, rampant bedbug infestations, and six inmate deaths in 2023 alone while a vast majority of inmates have yet to be tried or cannot afford to post bail. The former president was in and out of the jail within 20 minutes, but the rest of the prisoners, 87% of whom are Black, are being held indefinitely in inhumane if not deadly conditions.
Using this in my “Social Movements and the Impact of Technologies” class and in my freshmen “Transformative Power: The Arts and Social Justice” class.
THANK YOU, Rhea, for such great content for two of my classes!
That’s extremely kind of you to say, Terri! Thanks for supporting Hyperallergic and for your kind words 🙂