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Someone Drew Pigpen Into A Courtroom Sketch Of 'Steve Bannon Appearing In Court'–And Everyone Had The Same Response
CORRECTION 7/19/2022, 03:30pm EDT: A previous version of this article credited Mike Sington (@MikeSington) with creating the meme. Paul Leigh (@pleightx) is the meme's creator.
After a few hiccups the contempt of Congress trial resulting from alt-right impresario and January 6 plotter Steve Bannon's refusal to respond to the January 6 Committee's subpoena has at last begun—and so has the roasting.
Bannon is most infamous for his instrumental roles in former Republican President Donald Trump's election and his candor about his terrifying political goals: to "destroy the state" and bring America "crashing down"—goals that culminated in his central role in planning the insurrection.
But he's also infamous for his disheveled appearance—never clean-shaven, perpetually in need of a haircut, always vaguely sweaty, the type of guy you might stop on the street and say, "Sir, could I interest you in a trip to the hospital or at least a shower?"
Now, it seems these twin infamies have culminated in a meme that perfectly encapsulates Bannon's whole thing—a courtroom sketch from his trial in which Bannon is replaced with another infamously disheveled figure—Pigpen from Charles Schulz Peanuts.
The meme was created by Paul Leigh—@pleightx on Twitter—whose bio states:
"Making people laugh by any memes possible."
"Political satirist w/wicked skills in Photoshop."
\u201chttps://t.co/3dzCsjEiDz\u201d— Paul Leigh \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 I Stand w/Ukraine & Democracy (@Paul Leigh \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 I Stand w/Ukraine & Democracy) 1658158123
Leigh's latest meme got all of social media guffawing.
You have to admit, it's perfect—especially for a guy like Bannon, who's based part of his career on ridiculing minorities and basically everyone to the left of Adolph Hitler on alt-right media platforms like the media platform he created, Breitbart.
The Bannon-mockery pump was already prime, of course, by the fact that the case against him is so substantial he has very little hope in prevailing in his trial—so much so he is said to already be planning his appeal to the expected guilty verdict.
His attempts to delay the trial have fallen flat too, including one the judge struck down just today.
Still, many on social media felt that the Pigpen mockery of Bannon was below the belt and unfair—to Pigpen, that is.
After all, what has Pigpen ever done to anyone to warrant a comparison to Steve Bannon‽‽
It's not like he's been out here planning a White nationalist overthrow of the American government while looking like a disheveled corpse. All Pigpen is guilty of is hating bathtime.
\u201cPigpen now trending #17. \ud83d\ude02\u201d— Paul Leigh \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 I Stand w/Ukraine & Democracy (@Paul Leigh \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 I Stand w/Ukraine & Democracy) 1658183875
\u201cWell Pigpen is climbing back up to #29 and thank you @PaulLahticks for pointing out that it has its own writeup about the meme\u201d— Paul Leigh \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 I Stand w/Ukraine & Democracy (@Paul Leigh \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 I Stand w/Ukraine & Democracy) 1658183875
Talk about punching down!
And it wasn't long before there was a wave of joking tweets running to Pigpen's defense.
\u201cThis is SO unfair to Pigpen.\u201d— Mark Hamill (@Mark Hamill) 1658185397
\u201cThat is an insult to Pigpen, who never posed a security threat to anyone.\u201d— Paula Poundstone (@Paula Poundstone) 1658186626
\u201cPigpen should sue for defamation of CHARACTER! \ud83e\udd14\ud83d\ude09\u201d— Peter Morley (@Peter Morley) 1658241334
\u201cHurtful to Pig Pen. He was a different kind of dirty than Steve Bannon.\u201d— Joshua Gale (@Joshua Gale) 1658214727
\u201c@Pleightx Pig Pen is a decent soul and likable.\u201d— Paul Leigh \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 I Stand w/Ukraine & Democracy (@Paul Leigh \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 I Stand w/Ukraine & Democracy) 1658158123
\u201cPig Pen has an open and shut defamation case here.\u201d— Mr. Sunflower Enthusiast Grift (@Mr. Sunflower Enthusiast Grift) 1658173040
\u201c\ud83d\ude02 Please don\u2019t do Pig Pen like this. It\u2019s mad disrespectful.\u201d— Maya Carter (@Maya Carter) 1658177681
\u201cPig Pen fans should be offended \ud83e\udd23\u201d— Dr. Mel (@Dr. Mel) 1658169868
\u201c@MarkHamill @DawnElicia Pig Pen smells better and took care of his friends.\u201d— Mark Hamill (@Mark Hamill) 1658185397
\u201cI stand with Pigpen\u201d— Nadia C. Whuddumsayin \ud83d\udc41 (@Nadia C. Whuddumsayin \ud83d\udc41) 1658236871
\u201cMe, seeing people disparaging Pigpen by comparing him to Steve Bannon.\u201d— Michael Dickson (@Michael Dickson) 1658244909
Jury selection has resumed in Bannon's trial following the judge rejecting his latest attempt at a delay.
Anyway, #Justice4Pigpen!